Senior Research Chemist, Materials Innovation Leader

Placements24; Klerksdorp; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health & retirement benefits

Growth & training

Lab access in Klerksdorp

Innovative research environment

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a visionary Senior Research Chemist to drive innovation in Materials Science at their research center in Klerksdorp. You will lead design, synthesis, and characterization of novel materials and mentor junior staff.

You will collaborate with engineers and physicists, advance processing routes, and contribute to IP development. The role offers opportunities to publish, present at conferences, and work in a resource-rich, innovation-focused environment in the North West province.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of industry or academic research experience in materials chemistry.
• Expertise in synthesis techniques, characterization methods (spectroscopy, microscopy, thermal analysis) and materials testing.
• Ability to independently lead research projects and mentor junior staff.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, synthesis, and characterization of novel materials using advanced chemical techniques.
• Conduct in-depth studies on material properties, performance, and structure-property relationships.
• Develop and optimize synthetic routes and processing methods for target materials.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to translate lab findings into scalable manufacturing processes.
• Author technical reports, patent applications, and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

Skills

Project leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Mentoring

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering

Tools

Spectroscopy

Microscopy

Thermal analysis

Materials testing

Job description

Placements24 seeks a visionary Senior Research Chemist to drive innovation in Materials Science at their research center in Klerksdorp. You will lead design, synthesis, and characterization of novel materials and mentor junior staff.

You will collaborate with engineers and physicists, advance processing routes, and contribute to IP development. The role offers opportunities to publish, present at conferences, and work in a resource-rich, innovation-focused environment in the North West province.