Staff Polymer Chemist

Anthro Energy, Inc.; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

15 Vacation Days

Full medical, dental, and vision

401k with match

Paid parental leave with flexible RN

Job summary

Anthro Energy, Inc. is pioneering a next-generation polymer electrolyte platform. We seek an experienced polymer R&D innovator to develop new polymer chemistries, formulations, and polymerization processes for Proteus electrolyte technology in a hands-on experimental role.

You will collaborate closely with cell engineering, manufacturing, and electrolyte teams to advance polymer design, translate innovations into manufacturable concepts, and contribute to IP and customer-facing narratives.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. with 3+ years of industry R&D experience or M.S. with 5+ years in polymers.
• Deep expertise in polymer synthesis and structure–property relationships in electrolytes, adhesives, elastomers or related fields.
• Experience with electrolyte chemistry, batteries, or electrochemical systems is preferred.
• Familiarity with polymer processing and formulation techniques such as coating, slurry processing, and mixing.
• Proficiency with polymer characterization techniques including GPC/SEC, rheology, DSC/TGA, NMR, and FTIR; familiarity with electrochemical methods (EIS, CV) preferred.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment with hands-on experimental responsibilities and strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Develop new polymer synthesis processes in-house to address novel electrolyte value propositions and demonstrate performance concepts.
• Translate project goals into strategic experimental plans and execute high-quality experiments with clear communication to stakeholders.
• Interface with vendors, contract manufacturers, and collaborators to leverage external resources for procurement and scale-up.
• Work safely in lab and document work through SOPs while developing new chemical processes.
• Contribute to procurement of bench-scale lab equipment to advance synthesis and materials processing capabilities.
• Collaborate with cell development, electrolyte, manufacturing, and technician teams to translate R&D processes into production.

Skills

Polymer synthesis

Polymer characterization

Experiment planning

Hands-on lab work

Education

Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science

Tools

GPC/SEC

NMR

FTIR

DSC/TGA

Job description

Anthro Energy is pioneering a next-generation polymer electrolyte platform to enable safer, higher-energy-density lithium-ion batteries and novel battery form-factors. We are seeking an experienced polymer R&D innovator to develop new value propositions and applications for our Proteus™ electrolyte technology. In this hands-on experimental role, you will lead efforts to synthesize and develop new polymer chemistries, formulations, and polymerization processes, demonstrating performance advances in proof-of-concept experiments and prototypes.

You will work at the intersection of fundamental polymer science and applied battery development, partnering closely with Cell engineering, Manufacturing, and Electrolyte teams to advance our scientific understanding of polymer electrolyte design, develop next-generation product concepts, and translate innovations into manufacturable commercial applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop new polymer synthesis processes in-house to address novel electrolyte value propositions around battery safety and manufacturability. Design experiments to demonstrate new performance concepts.
• Translate high level project goals into a strategic experimental plan, and execute on it through high-quality experiments. Communicate planning and results to internal and external stakeholders to support internal process development, IP development, grant proposals, and customer-facing technical narratives.
• Interface with vendors, contract manufacturers, and collaborators to leverage external resources and capabilities for material procurement and process scale-up.
• Work safely in lab, independently developing new chemical processes and protocols and documenting work through SOPs.
• Contribute to procurement of new bench scale lab equipment to advance synthesis, formulation and materials processing capabilities.
• Collaborate effectively with cell development, electrolyte, manufacturing, and technician teams to coordinate work and translate processes from R&D to production.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science, with 3+ years of industry R&D experience (or M.S. with 5+ years of relevant industry experience).
• Deep expertise in polymer synthesis and characterization, and polymer structure-property relationships in electrolytes, adhesives, elastomers or related fields.
• Experience with electrolyte chemistry, batteries, or electrochemical systems is preferred.
• Familiarity with polymer processing and formulation techniques such as coating, slurry processing, and mixing processes is optionally helpful.
• Proficiency with polymer characterization techniques including GPC/SEC, rheology, DSC/TGA, NMR, and FTIR. Familiarity with electrochemical methods (EIS, CV, battery cycling) preferred.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with hands-on experimental responsibilities alongside strategic thinking.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity compensation commensurate with experience. Expected salary range for posted level is $145k-170k
• 15 Vacation Days, 10+ Holidays, Sick time off
• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage for team members, 60% coverage for dependents
• 401k with match
• Paid parental leave with flexible return-to-work policy
• Diverse and inclusive work environment