Senior Polymer Scientist: Materials Innovator (On-Site)

Placements24; Klerksdorp; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and retirement plans

Professional development opportunities

State-of-the-art lab equipment

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist in Klerksdorp, North West, to lead polymer research, synthesis, and formulation development for automotive-grade materials. The role focuses on designing advanced polymers, evaluating structure-property relationships, and translating lab findings into scalable processing methods.

You will mentor junior scientists, collaborate with engineers, and contribute to publications and patents.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on polymer synthesis, characterization, and processing.
• Strong theoretical knowledge in polymer chemistry and polymer physics; translate research into applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D of new polymer formulations and synthesis methods.
• Characterize material properties using FTIR, NMR, GPC/SEC, DSC, TGA, SEM, TEM.
• Investigate structure–property relationships and optimize processing techniques.
• Collaborate with engineers to integrate new materials into product designs.
• Mentor junior scientists and maintain detailed lab records.

Skills

Polymer synthesis

Polymer characterization

Polymer chemistry

FTIR

NMR

GPC/SEC

DSC

TGA

SEM

TEM

Project management

Independent work

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Materials Science/Polymer Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

Tools

Computational polymer modeling

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist in Klerksdorp, North West, to lead polymer research, synthesis, and formulation development for automotive-grade materials. The role focuses on designing advanced polymers, evaluating structure-property relationships, and translating lab findings into scalable processing methods.

You will mentor junior scientists, collaborate with engineers, and contribute to publications and patents.