Scientist II/Senior Melt Polymer Scientist

As a Scientist II/Senior Melt Polymer Scientist on the Materials Formulation team at Lila Sciences, you will drive the development and optimization of solid polymers, such as hot melt adhesive systems, working at the intersection of polymer science, formulation chemistry, and Lila's autonomous science platform. You will design and execute high-throughput melt processing and characterization experiments that generate critical rheological, chemical, and mechanical data to guide adhesive formulation and materials discovery. Working alongside experimentalists, engineers, and machine learning scientists, you will build scalable polymer processing and testing workflows that accelerate the path to scientific superintelligence in solid polymer materials.

• Lead AI-driven experimental design and analysis to optimize solid polymer formulations, such as hot melt adhesives, leveraging polymer extrusion and melt processing techniques to translate formulation targets into manufacturable products.
• Develop and apply melt rheology methods to characterize processability and application performance of solid polymer systems.
• Conduct polymer characterization studies (e.g., molecular weight, thermal transitions, crystallinity) to establish structure-property relationships that inform formulation strategy.
• Design and execute mechanical testing protocols, including peel, shear, tack, and bond strength, to evaluate formulation performance against application requirements.
• Collaborate with experimentalists, systems engineers, and ML scientists to integrate characterization outputs into autonomous closed-loop workflows and ML training datasets.
• Troubleshoot characterization workflows and instrumentation to sustain high-throughput operational performance.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

• PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with 3+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience (or equivalent industry experience with an advanced degree).
• Demonstrated expertise in melt polymer formulation and development, including hands-on experience with polymer extrusion and melt processing equipment.
• Strong working knowledge of melt rheology and proficiency with rheometers, melt flow indexers, or equivalent platforms.
• Experience with polymer characterization techniques including DSC, GPC/SEC, or FTIR, and mechanical testing methods (peel, shear, tack, tensile, lap shear) on relevant ASTM/industry test standards.
• Proficient in quantitative data analysis and interpretation of process-structure-property relationships in polymeric materials.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with a track record of cross-functional collaboration.

• Background across multiple polymer chemistries, and familiarity with adhesive raw material classes, including base polymers, tackifying resins, waxes, and stabilizer/additive packages.
• Experience with pilot-scale or production-scale extrusion, coating, or hot melt application equipment for different polymer product classes.
• Proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysis and workflow automation.
• Exposure to automated, high-throughput, or autonomous laboratory environments, such as custom or automated rheological and mechanical test instrumentation.

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