Materials Science Research Chemist — Synthesis & Innovation

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health and retirement benefits

Conference attendance

Access to advanced instrumentation

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Research Chemist specializing in Materials Science for its Richards Bay R&D facility. You will design, synthesize, and characterize novel materials for industrial applications, contributing to next-generation products.

The role emphasizes advanced analytical techniques (NMR, FTIR, XRD, SEM), collaboration with engineers, and a strong emphasis on scalable synthesis and rigorous documentation of results.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of post-graduate research in materials chemistry or synthesis.
• Strong practical skills in organic/inorganic synthesis, polymer chemistry, or inorganic materials preparation.

Responsibilities

• Synthesize and characterize new chemical compounds and advanced materials.
• Analyze material properties (thermal, mechanical, electrical).
• Develop scalable synthesis routes for lab settings.
• Review literature to identify new research avenues and applications.
• Collaborate with engineers and product teams to integrate materials into prototypes.

Skills

Synthesis chemistry

Material analysis

Problem solving

Communication

Education

PhD or MSc in Chemistry/Materials Science

Tools

NMR

FTIR

XRD

SEM

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Research Chemist specializing in Materials Science for its Richards Bay R&D facility. You will design, synthesize, and characterize novel materials for industrial applications, contributing to next-generation products.

The role emphasizes advanced analytical techniques (NMR, FTIR, XRD, SEM), collaboration with engineers, and a strong emphasis on scalable synthesis and rigorous documentation of results.