Senior Polymer Scientist — Advanced Materials R&D

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 850,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Competitive salary

Retirement plan

Professional growth

State-of-the-art lab facilities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Research Scientist in polymer chemistry to lead advanced materials research in Mahikeng. The role centers on design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polymers for diverse applications, applying polymerization techniques and structure–property relationships to drive innovation and IP generation.

Lead projects, collaborate with engineers and product developers to optimize formulations and processing (e.g., extrusion, molding).

Qualifications

• PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of post-doctoral or industry experience in polymer synthesis and characterization.
• Demonstrated expertise in various polymerization methods and polymer analysis techniques.
• Strong understanding of polymer physics and material properties.
• Experience with processing techniques for polymers (e.g., extrusion, molding) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel polymers using various polymerization techniques.
• Characterize polymer structures, molecular weights, and thermal properties.
• Investigate structure-property relationships to tailor material performance.
• Develop and optimize polymer formulations for applications with engineers and product developers.
• Troubleshoot synthesis and characterization challenges and propose solutions.
• Stay current with advancements in polymer science and contribute to IP generation.

Skills

Polymerization techniques

Polymer characterization

Structure–property relationships

Problem solving

Scientific collaboration

Education

PhD in Polymer Chemistry

PhD in related field (Materials Science/Organic Chemistry)

Tools

GPC

DSC

TGA

NMR

Extrusion

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Research Scientist in polymer chemistry to lead advanced materials research in Mahikeng. The role centers on design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polymers for diverse applications, applying polymerization techniques and structure–property relationships to drive innovation and IP generation.

Lead projects, collaborate with engineers and product developers to optimize formulations and processing (e.g., extrusion, molding).