Materials Scientist
DSC, TGA, and rheometry are the main characterization tools, along with polymer blending and additive formulation. The role sits in a VC-backed climate tech startup developing compostable, high-performance alternatives to traditional plastics, bridging lab research and industrial scale-up. No team size is stated.
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Job Title
Materials Scientist
Salary
£35k-£45k + Equity
Company Description
VC-backed climate tech startup
Job Description
Join a pioneering climate tech team developing high-performance alternatives to traditional plastics. As a Materials Scientist, you will lead the formulation of novel polymer blends and additive packages, bridging the gap between laboratory characterization and industrial scale-up to ensure materials perform like conventional plastic while remaining fully compostable in natural environments.
Location
London, UK
Why this role is remarkable
Lead the development of innovative materials that perform like conventional plastic but biodegrade naturally without leaving microplastics or toxins behind.
Work within a well-funded, Series A climate tech startup backed by leading impact investors focused on solving urgent environmental challenges.
Directly influence the scaling of commercial materials already entering global markets, working at the unique intersection of research science and manufacturing.
What You Will Do
Develop and iterate on proprietary polymer blends and additive packages to optimize mechanical performance and end-of-life biodegradability.
Build predictive frameworks correlating laboratory data such as rheology and crystallinity to real-world processing behavior in manufacturing environments.
Design and execute rigorous experiments while managing relationships with material suppliers to qualify and source sustainable new feedstocks.
The ideal candidate
Holds a graduate degree in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, or a related field with at least one year of industry R&D experience.
Demonstrates deep first-principles understanding of polymer structure-property relationships and hands-on expertise with characterization tools like DSC, TGA, and rheometry.
Thrives in a fast-paced, lean startup environment where they can build processes from scratch and communicate technical findings to cross-functional teams.