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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

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