Senior Material Scientist (Hybrid)

Purple Mattress; Draper (UT); On-site; USD 94,000 - 111,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) Match

Flexible PTO

Earn a Mattress

Purple Swag

Amazing Purple Products

Job summary

Purple Mattress is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist to advance its comfort technology through polymer science and materials research. You will lead a small team, plan experiments, and drive innovations that impact both product performance and manufacturing processes.

The role emphasizes leadership, rigorous documentation, and collaboration across Production, Quality, and Engineering within the Innovations Department. A strong background in polymers and physical testing is required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science and Engineering, or Chemical Engineering with 5-7 years' experience.
• Leadership and mentorship skills to manage other materials scientists and technicians.
• Extensive knowledge of polymer structure, physical chemistry, and polymer characterization techniques.
• Strong technical writing skills for communicating advanced scientific concepts to various audiences.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Experience with oil-extended elastomer gels and rheological testing.
• Track record developing novel, patentable solutions to technical problems.
• Exposure to the Stage Gate process.
• Extensive knowledge of TGA, TMA, MFI, rheology, FTIR, and benchtop injection molding.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of Materials Scientists and Technicians to support Materials Science goals.
• Perform laboratory investigations into modifications and improvements of Hyper-Elastic Polymer Gels for products and processes.
• Own organized, well-documented laboratory notebooks and reports.
• Develop blending, formulation, and experimentation plans using DOE methodology.
• Manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks to meet department goals.
• Mentor team members and support project planning.
• Plan and perform mechanical and physical testing of formulations.
• Publish internal reports and present research findings to senior staff.

Skills

Leadership

Technical writing

Polymer knowledge

DOE methodology

Oil-extended elastomer gels

Rheology testing

Education

Master's degree in Materials Science or related

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Purple is a digitally-native vertical brand with a mission to help people feel and live better through innovative comfort solutions. To us, comfort means more than great products, it means empowering every employee to feel comfortable being themselves. We believe your career at Purple will be a one-of-a-kind "Career in Comfort" because our workforce is one-of-a-kind. We are committed to a culture of collaboration where every voice is heard and understood. As an innovation company at our core, we believe a diversity workforce brings better insights, solutions and products and serves as the backbone to bettering our company. Join with us as we add to our team of exceptional individuals who will help us take over the world - one mattress at a time.

Compensation

The compensation target for this role is: $94,400 - $111,000

Job Summary

The Senior Materials Scientist is a key part of the Materials Science Team within the Innovations Department. You are the backbone of the technological improvement to Purple's comfort technology offerings and much of the work is at the forefront of the company's innovation pipeline.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of Materials Scientists and Technicians to support the Materials Science goals of Purple
• Perform laboratory investigations into modifications and improvements of Hyper-Elastic Polymer Gels relating to both the product and processes under the supervision of senior staff.
• Own the organized and well-documented laboratory notebook/report structure.
• Develop blending, formulation, and experimentation plans for various projects using efficient DOE methodology.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks according to team, department, and company goals.
• Support team members with project planning and mentorship.
• Plan and perform mechanical and physical testing of formulations.
• Direct literature research pertaining to current and new areas of investigation.
• Publish internal reports and present research findings to senior staff relating to ongoing and completed projects.
• Act as liaison between Material Science and internal teams (Production, Quality, and Engineering).
• Travel occasionally off-site to corporate sites and vendor sites, . Travel to technical conferences will also be occasionally required.

Required Skills, Education, Experience

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science and Engineering, or Chemical Engineering or other relevant scientific area with 5-7 years' experience in relevant fields
• Leadership and mentorship skills to manage other materials scientists and technicians in a professional manner and develop their skills.
• Extensive knowledge of polymer structure, physical chemistry, and polymer characterization techniques.
• Strong technical writing skills for communicating advanced scientific concepts to a variety of audiences.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).

Our ideal candidate brings

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science and Engineering, or Chemical Engineering or other relevant scientific area with 7 -10 years' experience in relevant fields.
• Experience with oil-extended elastomer gels and rheological testing.
• Track record developing novel, patentable solutions to technical problems.
• Exposure to the Stage Gate process.
• Extensive knowledge of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), melt flow processing (MFI), rheology (ODR/ESR), Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, benchtop injection molding.

Physical Requirements

• Physical activities may occasionally include:
• Ability to lift 25-30 pounds
• Ability to work with mixing equipment /respirator for raw materials addition.
• Physical activities may constantly include:
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Repetitive motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of work assigned.

Environmental Conditions may occasionally include

• Noisy instrumentation in laboratories

BENEFITS AND PERKS

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) Match
• Flexible PTO
• Earn a Mattress
• Purple Swag
• Amazing Purple Products

WHY WORK AT PURPLE

Make your mark: We value innovative thinking. At Purple, you will be empowered to bring your ideas to life as we work together to improve people's lives through comfort.

Gain unique experience: Be a part of one of the fastest growing companies in Utah! The contributions you make will matter at Purple as the company continues to grow with you.

Awesome culture: Join the tight-knit team at Purple and you can enjoy working alongside industry experts, making close friends, and annual employee appreciation events.

Purple provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, nati