Senior Polymer Research Scientist – Materials Innovation

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 in Richards Bay is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist to lead polymer research initiatives. You will oversee projects from concept to material characterization and testing, driving innovation within a dedicated R&D team.

The ideal candidate holds a Ph.D. in a related field with 6+ years of hands-on polymer science experience, including synthesis, modification, and processing, plus strong analytical capabilities and collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or related field.
• 6+ years of hands-on research experience in polymer science and engineering.
• Proven expertise in polymer synthesis, modification, and processing techniques.
• Proficiency with advanced characterization techniques for polymer analysis (GPC, DSC, TGA, FTIR, NMR).
• Experience with computational modeling and simulation of polymer behavior is advantageous.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced research into synthesis, characterization, and application of novel polymer materials.
• Design and perform experiments to evaluate polymer properties, including mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance.
• Develop structure-property relationships to guide material design and optimization.
• Utilize spectroscopy, chromatography, and microscopy for material characterization.
• Collaborate with engineering and product development teams to translate findings into practical material solutions.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Skills

Polymer synthesis

Materials characterization

Structure-property

Computational modeling

Education

Ph.D. in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or related field

Tools

GPC

DSC

TGA

FTIR

NMR

Job description

Placements24 in Richards Bay is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist to lead polymer research initiatives. You will oversee projects from concept to material characterization and testing, driving innovation within a dedicated R&D team.

The ideal candidate holds a Ph.D. in a related field with 6+ years of hands-on polymer science experience, including synthesis, modification, and processing, plus strong analytical capabilities and collaboration skills.