$90,000–$110,000 Per Year
Academic Research, Analysis Skills, Best Practices, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Communication Skills, Contract Analysis, Customer Relations, Documentation, Experiment Design, Identify Issues, Industrial Research, Instrumentation, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Material Science, Materials Analysis, Medical Equipment, Mentoring, Organizational Skills, Polymers, Post-Sales, Pre-Sales, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Process Development, Product Demonstration, Product Management, Project Estimates, Project/Program Management, Proof of Concept, Recruiting/Staffing Agency, Regulations, Research Contracts, Sales Support, Scaffolding, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Startup, Team Player, Technical Leadership, Technical Sales, Technical Support, Testing, Time Management, Trade Shows, Willing to Travel, Wound Care, Writing Skills
Polymer Scientist – Electrospinning & Advanced Materials Applications
Location: Phoenix, AZ – Onsite laboratory role; ~20–30% North American travel
Compensation: $90,000 – $110,000 base salary + performance bonus
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're partnering with a Phoenix-based advanced materials and contract analytical laboratory to hire a PhD-level Polymer Scientist with deep, hands-on electrospinning expertise. The lab develops electrospun and electrosprayed polymer systems for medical device and regulated-materials applications — drug delivery, wound care, device coatings, fibrous scaffolds, membranes — for clients ranging from the world's largest medical device companies to early-stage startups.
What This Role Is
You will be the lab's internal subject-matter expert on electrospinning and electrospraying, leading client-facing contract development projects from scope definition through final reporting. It's a hands-on bench role with real commercial visibility — applied science, not academic research, and not a translational, regulatory, or product-management track.
A small, tight-knit team (7 people) means high autonomy, fast-moving priorities, and a genuine mix of laboratory execution and direct customer engagement.
Core Responsibilities
Contract research & project leadership
- Lead electrospinning/electrospraying projects for industrial and research clients
- Define project scope with customers and design structured, factorial experimental plans
- Conduct hands-on experimentation, process development, and troubleshooting across diverse polymer systems
- Develop and document SOPs; maintain quality-system and documentation discipline
- Communicate outcomes through clear written and oral technical reports
- Mentor junior team members in experimental design and best practices
Applications & technical support
- Support advanced electrospinning instrumentation; run demos, installations, and user training
- Provide pre- and post-sales technical support, proof-of-concept testing, and remote/onsite troubleshooting
- Represent the lab at workshops, trade shows, and technical roadshows across North America
Qualifications
Required
- PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a closely related discipline (this is a polymer/materials-science role rather than a chemical-engineering one)
- Deep, independent, hands-on electrospinning and/or electrospraying experience — you have personally developed, built, or substantially owned and troubleshooted the process, not only operated an established group system
- Demonstrated breadth across multiple polymer systems — not a single-polymer specialist
- Strong experimental-design discipline (structured/factorial, not purely exploratory)
- Proven ability to manage technical projects independently and meet client timelines
- Excellent written and verbal technical communication
- Willingness to travel ~20–30%
Attributes that matter here
- Strong interpersonal skills and team fit — this is a collaborative, customer-facing, rules-driven environment; the team works closely together and to client specifications. This is weighted as heavily as technical skill.
- Ownership and accountability — comfortable being questioned on your work, and able to say "I don't know" without defensiveness
- Genuine curiosity across a wide range of materials and applications
- Comfort working in environmentally sensitive electrospinning systems (humidity, solvent, charge effects)
- Process-oriented, quality-minded, and organized in documentation
Recent PhDs with strong electrospinning depth are encouraged to apply. Industry, internship, or PI-collaboration-with-industry experience is an advantage but not required.
Team & Environment
- 7-person analytical team; individual contributor with technical-leadership influence
- High-autonomy, startup-paced environment within an established 20-year company
Other Requirements
- Onsite in Phoenix, AZ — must be located there or willing to relocate
- US work authorization is required; visa sponsorship is not available