Polymer Scientist

Summary:

• We are seeking a research scientist to work as a member of an R&D team that is involved in identifying, developing, and testing new technologies for a range of medical devices, including surgical and interventional devices.
• Specifically, the team is focused on the chemical and materials aspects of these devices. Under the supervision of an R&D Manager, the candidate will help with the development of new chemical formulations and biomaterials for tissue engineering (hydrogels, coatings, resorbable polymers, viscoelastic materials, etc.), and test methods for characterizing them.
• This includes chemical functionalization of materials, determination of their physico-chemical properties by various instrumentation methods, and assessment of functional performance both in vitro and in vivo.
• Strong desire to gain experience in developing medical technologies.
• The candidate should be able to plan and conduct scientific experiments, and effectively analyze, interpret, and present experimental results while collaborating with team members from diverse backgrounds.

Qualification:

• Graduate degree (Ph.D. preferred) or equivalent work experience in the fields of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Textile engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or related scientific discipline.
• Research experience (during graduate school or post-graduation) is required.
• Prior work experience in a medical device R&D organization is a plus.
• Hands-on laboratory experience working with various polymers/biomaterials/formulations.
• Hands-on experience working in a chemicals/materials/biomedical/textiles lab, be familiar with basic synthetic (polymers or small molecules) chemistry techniques.
• Experience with test method development using medical prototypes, working knowledge of biomedical polymeric materials, and preclinical testing in animals is also valuable.
• Experience with the design and development of a polymeric materials-based solution for a biomedical or pharmaceutical application
• Hands-on experience characterizing formulations/polymers (gels, polymer blends, emulsions, particles, biomedical polyesters, other viscoelastic systems, etc.)
• Experience operating commonly used materials characterization tools (such as rheometer, Instron, spectroscopic methods, DSC, GPC, etc.) and interpreting resultant data

Desired skills

• Experience developing test methods to assess the biomechanical performance of prototypes
• Knowledge of polymer processing methods (extrusion, thermoforming, 3D printing, etc.), resorbable materials
• Experience with the design of preclinical studies and the interpretation of resultant data
• Experience in basic synthetic chemistry (small molecule or polymer synthesis)
• Willingness to work occasionally with biological specimens (e.g., animal tissues) for lab-scale testing