Senior Polymers Scientist — Lead R&D & Innovation

Placements24; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 in Bloemfontein is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist specializing in polymers to lead R&D on design, synthesis, and characterization of advanced polymeric materials for high‑tech industries. You will mentor scientists and collaborate across teams to translate concept to commercialization.

PhD required with 5+ years in polymer science; expertise in synthesis, modification, and structure–property relationships; strong analytical and communication skills; experience leading projects

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of industrial or academic polymer research experience.
• Proven expertise in polymer synthesis and modification techniques.
• Strong experience with polymer characterization methods and structure–property analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D efforts in polymer science, focusing on synthesis and characterization.
• Design and execute experiments to develop polymers with tailored properties.
• Utilize spectroscopy, microscopy, DSC/TGA and mechanical testing for analysis.
• Investigate structure–property relationships to optimize performance.
• Collaborate with engineers to integrate polymers into products.
• Mentor junior scientists and communicate findings through reports and proposals.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Collaboration

Analytical thinking

Education

PhD in Materials Science or Polymer Science or Chemistry

Tools

Polymer synthesis techniques

Polymer modification techniques

Polymer characterization methods

Job description

Placements24 in Bloemfontein is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist specializing in polymers to lead R&D on design, synthesis, and characterization of advanced polymeric materials for high‑tech industries. You will mentor scientists and collaborate across teams to translate concept to commercialization.

PhD required with 5+ years in polymer science; expertise in synthesis, modification, and structure–property relationships; strong analytical and communication skills; experience leading projects