Principal Materials Scientist - Lead Advanced Materials Research

Placements24; Durban; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Relocation package

International travel

Professional memberships

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Principal Materials Scientist in Durban to lead research initiatives across nanotechnology, composites, polymers and advanced alloys. You will design, synthesize, characterize and apply novel materials with tailored properties for demanding environments.

The role requires mentoring a team of scientists and collaborating with industrial partners to translate discoveries into commercial products.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive research experience in materials science.
• Extensive hands-on experience with advanced materials characterization techniques.
• Proven track record of leadership and delivering research projects.
• Deep understanding of material structure-property relationships.
• Publications in high-impact journals.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and lead a research team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute research projects focused on development of novel materials.
• Design experiments for synthesis, processing, and characterization of advanced materials.
• Utilize a wide range of characterization techniques (SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, spectroscopy).
• Develop theoretical models to predict material properties and performance.
• Oversee scaling-up of production processes from lab to pilot scale.
• Collaborate with engineering and product teams to integrate materials into applications.
• Mentor junior scientists and technical staff.
• Publish findings in leading journals and present at international conferences.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and resources.
• Identify and pursue new research opportunities and funding sources.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Publications

Education

PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related field

Tools

DFT

Molecular dynamics

SEM/TEM/XRD/XPS

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Principal Materials Scientist in Durban to lead research initiatives across nanotechnology, composites, polymers and advanced alloys. You will design, synthesize, characterize and apply novel materials with tailored properties for demanding environments.

The role requires mentoring a team of scientists and collaborating with industrial partners to translate discoveries into commercial products.