Lead Polymer Coatings Engineer for Robust Robotics

1X; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) plan

Equity

Job summary

1X is building humanoid home robots that can help with chores and daily tasks, shipped to families at scale. We’re focused on safe, durable technology and real-world impact, with a strong emphasis on materials science and rapid iteration.

As a Senior Chemical Engineer on the Materials Science team, you will develop advanced polymer coating materials for load-bearing composites, design experiments, and connect chemistry to performance in production-ready robotic systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of experience developing advanced polymer coating materials.
• Strong experience with material characterization techniques including DMA, DSC, TGA, FTIR, rheology, and mechanical testing.
• Experience with polymer synthesis, formulation chemistry, polyurethane or other polymer chemistries for coating.
• Experience designing statistically rigorous experiments (DOE) and analyzing experimental data to optimize material performance.
• Excellent laboratory skills with strong attention to chemical safety, documentation, and experimental rigor.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced research and product development environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop the advanced coating materials that define the next generation of humanoid robotics.
• Lead polymer chemistry-driven R&D focused on novel polymer coating materials for load-bearing composites.
• Design experiments, characterize materials, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate materials into production-ready robotic systems.
• Connect coating chemistry and polymer properties to performance, including adhesion, friction, abrasion, heat generation, and fatigue.
• Shape the mechanical performance, durability, safety, and manufacturability of future 1X robots.

Skills

Polymer chemistry

Material characterization

Experiment design

Polymer synthesis

DOE

Education

Chemical Engineering

Materials Science

Polymer Chemistry

Polymer Science

Tools

DMA

DSC

TGA

FTIR

Rheology

Mechanical testing

Job description

1X is building humanoid home robots that can help with chores and daily tasks, shipped to families at scale. We’re focused on safe, durable technology and real-world impact, with a strong emphasis on materials science and rapid iteration.

As a Senior Chemical Engineer on the Materials Science team, you will develop advanced polymer coating materials for load-bearing composites, design experiments, and connect chemistry to performance in production-ready robotic systems.