Polymer Materials Scientist — R&D Innovation

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off and company holidays

Professional development opportunities

State-of-the-art laboratory facilities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly motivated Materials Scientist to join a leading R&D team in Richards Bay. You will design, synthesize, characterize, and test novel polymeric materials with advanced properties for diverse industrial applications, supporting next-generation product development.

You will work in a collaborative lab, tackle challenging scientific problems, and contribute to intellectual property, driving innovation and aligning with business objectives.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience in polymer R&D.
• Proficiency in polymer synthesis techniques and characterization methods.
• Strong understanding of structure-property relationships in polymers.
• Experience with material testing and failure analysis.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and keen eye for detail.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize new polymers and composite materials with tailored properties.
• Characterize material properties using analytical techniques (e.g., spectroscopy, thermal analysis, microscopy).
• Conduct performance testing of materials under various conditions to evaluate suitability for target applications.
• Collaborate with engineers and product designers to translate material innovations into practical product solutions.
• Troubleshoot issues related to material processing, performance, and manufacturing.
• Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and prepare technical reports on research findings.

Skills

Polymer synthesis

Characterization methods

Structure-property relationships

Analytical techniques

Problem solving

Education

PhD in Materials Science or related field

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a highly motivated Materials Scientist to join a leading R&D team in Richards Bay. You will design, synthesize, characterize, and test novel polymeric materials with advanced properties for diverse industrial applications, supporting next-generation product development.

You will work in a collaborative lab, tackle challenging scientific problems, and contribute to intellectual property, driving innovation and aligning with business objectives.