Senior Materials Engineer — Lead Advanced Materials & Innovation

Placements24; Mossel Bay; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

State-of-the-art facilities

Job summary

Placements24 in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, seeks a Senior Materials Engineer to drive R&D and application of advanced materials. You will lead development, testing, and analysis across polymers, composites, and metals, mentoring a team of engineers.

The role emphasizes collaboration with design and manufacturing to optimize processing, ensure quality, and advance material performance in next-generation products.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in materials engineering with advanced materials development and characterization.
• Extensive knowledge of material properties, failure analysis, and processing techniques.
• Proficiency with materials characterization equipment (e.g., SEM, TEM, XRD, DSC, mechanical testers).
• Experience with statistical analysis and DOE for material optimization.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and their impact on material performance.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective communication and presentation skills; ability to interact with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead projects and mentor team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead research, development, and characterization of advanced materials (polymers, composites, metals).
• Analyze material properties (mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical) using various tests.
• Oversee material selection for new product development and environments.
• Collaborate with R&D and manufacturing to optimize processing and ensure quality.
• Investigate material failures and develop solutions to improve reliability.
• Manage material testing laboratories, equipment maintenance and calibration.
• Develop and maintain material databases and specifications.
• Stay abreast of advancements in materials science and engineering.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians in material science principles and testing.

Skills

Materials Science

Metallurgy

Chemical Engineering

SEM

TEM

XRD

DSC

DOE

Manufacturing processes

Mentoring

Communication

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Materials Science

in Metallurgy

in Chemical Engineering

Tools

SEM

TEM

XRD

DSC

Mechanical testers

Job description

Placements24 in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, seeks a Senior Materials Engineer to drive R&D and application of advanced materials. You will lead development, testing, and analysis across polymers, composites, and metals, mentoring a team of engineers.

The role emphasizes collaboration with design and manufacturing to optimize processing, ensure quality, and advance material performance in next-generation products.