Polymer Scientist, Seattle

Watershed Therapeutics; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Watershed Therapeutics in Seattle is seeking a hands-on scientist to scale a hand-assembly medical device process into a reproducible manufacturing method. You will design experiments to understand how irradiation alters polymer performance and explore new polymer formulations to improve product attributes.

You will run pilot-scale batches, document batch records, and present results to the team. This is an autonomous role in a small, fast-moving biotech setting.

Qualifications

• 1–4 years hands-on lab or manufacturing experience (thesis bench work counts).
• Demonstrated experience scaling a laboratory or hand-assembly process (pilot-scale or manufacturing experience preferred).
• Hands-on experience with polymer formulation, processing, or characterization.
• Comfort working with potent compounds/APIs and volatile solvents under containment.
• Ability to design experiments, analyze data, and drive work forward with minimal supervision.
• Clear lab notebook and batch-record writing.

Responsibilities

• Scale the current hand-assembly process - define critical parameters, improve yield and reproducibility, and document a path toward manufacturing.
• Characterize the effects of irradiation on polymer performance (mechanical, thermal, morphological, and drug-release behavior).
• Formulate and test new polymer systems (including blends) using materials such as PCLGA, EVA, and glyceryl tripalmitate.
• Work with APIs and volatile solvents under appropriate containment.
• Manufacture batches of devices or intermediate components.
• Run in vitro release testing and compile data.
• Maintain clear lab notebooks, batch records, and experimental documentation.
• Present and defend results to the team.

Skills

Process development

Polymer formulation

Data analysis

Lab notebook writing

Education

B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in chemistry or related field

Job description

Watershed Therapeutics builds drug-device combination products that deliver cancer drugs directly to the bladder continuously then clear on their own. No removal procedure. No second surgery. Our lead product (SHED-01) is a biodegradable scaffold for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatment. We are pre-IND, preparing for a Phase 1b clinical trial, and moving toward FDA submission via the 505(b)(2) pathway. We are five people in a lab in Seattle. We make physical things with our hands.

The Role

You will work in the lab every day with high autonomy. Your primary job is to take our existing hand-assembly product and turn it into a scalable, controllable manufacturing process. In parallel you will design and run experiments that characterize how irradiation changes polymer performance, and you will explore alternative polymer formulations to improve product attributes.

In any given week you will:

• Scale the current hand-assembly process - define critical parameters, improve yield and reproducibility, and document a path toward manufacturing
• Characterize the effects of irradiation on polymer performance (mechanical, thermal, morphological, and drug-release behavior)
• Formulate and test new polymer systems (including blends) using materials such as PCLGA, EVA, and glyceryl tripalmitate
• Work with active pharmaceutical ingredients (gemcitabine, oxybutynin) and volatile solvents under appropriate containment
• Manufacture batches of devices or intermediate components
• Run in vitro release testing and compile data
• Maintain clear lab notebooks, batch records, and experimental documentation
• Present and defend results to the team

As you prove yourself, you take ownership of larger pieces: a formulation program, process transfer to a CMO, or analytical work supporting clinical batch release.

Requirements

B.S.,M.S. or Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, polymer science, pharmaceutical sciences, bioengineering, or related field. 1–4 years hands-on lab or manufacturing experience (thesis bench work counts). Plus:

• Demonstrated experience scaling a laboratory or hand-assembly process (process development, pilot-scale, or manufacturing engineering experience strongly preferred)
• Hands-on experience with polymer formulation, processing, or characterization
• Comfort working with potent compounds/APIs and volatile organic solvents under containment (fume hoods, PPE, OEB 3-5)
• Ability to design experiments, analyze data, and drive work forward with minimal supervision
• Clear lab notebook and batch-record writing

Bonus

Direct experience with medical-grade or pharmaceutical polymers (especially PCLGA/PLGA family or EVA), lipid-based systems, irradiation effects on polymers, GMP/GLP environments, or combination products.

How We Work

Feedback is blunt and task-focused. The CEO is a trauma surgeon. We are biased toward action - we test and fail faster than others can think and plan. Some days are polymer science and scale-up; other days are cleaning glassware or inventorying solvents. Both matter equally. If any task is beneath you, don't apply. This is early-stage biotech building a cancer drug for patients who have run out of options. The hours reflect that.

Compensation

Base starts at $80k+ (experience-dependent). Below Seattle market and we know it. In return: meaningful equity approaching a first clinical trial, exposure to every aspect of drug product development (CMC, regulatory, clinical, QMS), and the chance to build something that treats cancer from scratch. Early employees are worth multiples of what we pay them - equity is how that gap closes.

Location

On-site at the Icogenex BioIncubator, Fremont, Seattle (454 N 34th St). Not hybrid. Not remote.