Scientist, Composites & Structural, IMRE

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research seeks a motivated scientist to advance polymer and composite materials for industrial and research applications. You will contribute to design, synthesis, processing, and characterization of polymeric and fiber-reinforced composites, integrating synthesis, formulation and processing with automation, data science and AI researchers.

The role spans fundamental research, technology development and translation, with opportunities to work on

Qualifications

• PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Composite Materials or related discipline.
• Hands-on experience in polymer synthesis, polymer formulation and/or polymer processing.
• Experience with thermosets, thermoplastics, fiber-reinforced composites or related polymer composite systems.
• Practical knowledge of composite fabrication and processing techniques.
• Experience with materials characterization and mechanical testing.
• Good understanding of polymer chemistry, polymer physics and structure–property relationships.
• Ability to independently design experiments, troubleshoot laboratory processes and interpret experimental results.
• Strong analytical, technical communication and scientific writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with researchers from experimental, computational, automation and data science backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize polymers for targeted mechanical, thermal and functional properties.
• Develop and optimize polymer formulations, including resins, curing agents, additives, fillers and other formulation components.
• Perform composite fabrication and processing using techniques such as melt compounding, extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, resin impregnation, prepreg processing and related methods.
• Develop fiber-reinforced polymer composites using carbon fiber, glass fiber and other reinforcement systems.
• Investigate fiber–matrix interfaces, sizing, surface treatment, dispersion and interfacial adhesion and their effects on composite performance.
• Optimize material formulation and processing parameters to establish structure–processing–property relationships.
• Perform physical, thermal, rheological and mechanical characterization using techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology, tensile/flexural/compressive testing and microscopy.
• Design experiments, analyze data and establish correlations between formulation, processing conditions, microstructure and material properties.
• Support scale-up and translation of laboratory-developed materials and processes toward pilot-scale or industrial manufacturing.
• Contribute to automated and high-throughput materials development workflows where applicable.
• Work closely with computational, data science and AI researchers to generate high-quality experimental datasets and validate materials predictions.
• Participate in collaborative R&D projects with academic and industrial partners.

Skills

Polymer synthesis

Polymer formulation

Polymer processing

Thermosets

Thermoplastics

Fiber-reinforced composites

Composite fabrication

Materials characterization

Mechanical testing

Polymer chemistry

Polymer physics

Structure–property relationships

Experimental design

Data interpretation

Technical writing

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

PhD in Polymer Science

PhD in Materials Science

PhD in Chemistry

PhD in Chemical Engineering

PhD in Composite Materials

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking a motivated scientist to join our team in developing advanced polymer and composite materials for industrial and research applications. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, synthesis, processing, characterization and performance evaluation of polymeric and fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Job Description

We are seeking a motivated scientist to join our team in developing advanced polymer and composite materials for industrial and research applications. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, synthesis, processing, characterization and performance evaluation of polymeric and fiber-reinforced composite materials.

The role will involve close integration of materials synthesis, formulation, processing and characterization, with opportunities to work alongside researchers in automation, computational materials science and data-driven materials development. The candidate will participate in multidisciplinary projects spanning fundamental research, technology development and industry translation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize polymers for targeted mechanical, thermal and functional properties.


• Develop and optimize polymer formulations, including resins, curing agents, additives, fillers and other formulation components.


• Perform composite fabrication and processing using techniques such as melt compounding, extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, resin impregnation, prepreg processing and related methods.


• Develop fiber-reinforced polymer composites using carbon fiber, glass fiber and other reinforcement systems.


• Investigate fiber–matrix interfaces, sizing, surface treatment, dispersion and interfacial adhesion and their effects on composite performance.


• Optimize material formulation and processing parameters to establish structure–processing–property relationships.


• Perform physical, thermal, rheological and mechanical characterization using techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology, tensile/flexural/compressive testing and microscopy.


• Design experiments, analyze data and establish correlations between formulation, processing conditions, microstructure and material properties.


• Support scale-up and translation of laboratory-developed materials and processes toward pilot-scale or industrial manufacturing.


• Contribute to automated and high-throughput materials development workflows where applicable.


• Work closely with computational, data science and AI researchers to generate high-quality experimental datasets and validate materials predictions.


• Participate in collaborative R&D projects with academic and industrial partners.

Requirements

• PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Composite Materials or a related discipline.


• Strong hands‑on experience in polymer synthesis, polymer formulation and/or polymer processing.


• Experience in thermosets, thermoplastics, fiber‑reinforced composites or related polymer composite systems.


• Practical knowledge of composite fabrication and processing techniques.


• Experience with materials characterization and mechanical testing.


• Good understanding of polymer chemistry, polymer physics and structure–property relationships.


• Ability to independently design experiments, troubleshoot laboratory processes and interpret experimental results.


• Strong analytical, technical communication and scientific writing skills.


• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with researchers from experimental, computational, automation and data science backgrounds.