Polymer Scientist – Electrospinning & Advanced Materials Applications

Location: Phoenix, AZ – Onsite laboratory role; ~20–30% North American travel

Compensation: $90,000 – $110,000 base salary

Relocation: Relocation support available

Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, 401K, Life Insurance

Contact: Andrew Millar | andrew.millar@irisscientific.com | 647-205-7151

Iris Scientific is a specialty recruitment agency focused exclusively on technical and commercial roles within the North American scientific instrumentation and advanced materials market.

We are partnering with a Phoenix-based advanced materials and contract analytical laboratory to hire a PhD-level Polymer Scientist with deep electrospinning expertise.

This role sits at the intersection of:

• Contract research & development

• Electrospinning / electrospraying subject-matter leadership

• Polymer compounding & materials development

• Technical applications support and customer engagement

This is an onsite role within a collaborative, interdisciplinary team supporting both industrial and research clients.

What This Role Is

• This position combines:
• Hands-on experimental research
• Project leadership and client interfacing
• Technical mentorship
• Applications and instrumentation support

You will serve as the internal technical authority on electrospinning and electrospraying while leading client-facing development projects from scope definition through final reporting.

This is applied science with commercial visibility — not purely academic research.

Purpose of the Position

The Polymer Scientist will lead and manage electrospinning and electrospraying initiatives across diverse client projects while supporting advanced instrumentation applications across North America.

Success in this role requires:

• Deep, hands-on electrospinning experience

• Strong experimental design discipline

• Comfort managing technical projects independently

• Clear communication with clients and cross-functional teams

• Ability to balance laboratory execution with customer-facing responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

Contract Research & Project Leadership

• Lead electrospinning and electrospraying projects for industrial and research clients
• Define project scope in collaboration with customers
• Design structured experimental plans and analyze resulting data
• Conduct hands-on experimentation and sample preparation
• Develop and document standard operating procedures
• Ensure quality management compliance and structured documentation
• Prepare written and oral reports communicating technical outcomes
• Mentor junior team members in experimental design and best practices

Applications & Technical Support

• Support advanced electrospinning systems and related materials applications
• Conduct product demonstrations, installations, and user training sessions
• Participate in pre-sales and post-sales technical support
• Assist with workshops, trade shows, and technical roadshows
• Provide remote and onsite troubleshooting support
• Serve as a liaison between customers and suppliers on technical matters
• Execute proof-of-concept testing using laboratory instrumentation

Qualifications

Required:

• PhD in Polymer Science, Chemistry, Materials Science, or related discipline
• Extensive hands-on experience with electrospinning and/or electrospraying processes
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage technical projects
• Experience operating and maintaining laboratory instrumentation
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills
• Willingness to travel approximately 20–30% for customer support, training, and events
  

Desired Attributes:

• Process-oriented approach to experimentation
• Comfort working in environmentally sensitive electrospinning systems
• Experience mentoring or guiding junior researchers
• Curiosity across a broad range of materials and applications
• Ability to work autonomously within a small, high-trust team
• Recent PhDs with strong electrospinning depth may be considered. Industry or internship experience is advantageous but not required.

Team Structure

• 7-person analytical team
• Individual contributor role with technical leadership influence
• High-autonomy environment

Other Requirements

• Must be willing to located in Phoenix, AZ or willing to relocate (onsite laboratory role)
• US Work Authorization is required