Materials Scientist

Shellworks is on a mission to make plastic waste a thing of the past by creating sustainable materials. The Materials Scientist role involves developing proprietary polymer blends, creating formulations for biodegradability, and conducting material testing to drive innovation in sustainable materials.

Responsibilities

• Drive the development of proprietary polymer blends and additive packages. You’ll be responsible for expanding our core material's scope, successfully hitting commercial performance targets
• You will develop formulations that remain robust and uncompromising during a product’s shelf-life but maintain rapid biodegradability the moment they reach their end-of-life
• Develop a predictive framework that correlates lab-based data to real-world machine settings. Your goal is to eliminate trial-and-error by predicting how materials will behave before they hit the factory floor
• Expand our internal testing suite to connect microstructure analysis (crystallinity, melt stability, etc) to macroscopic failure modes
• Work with suppliers on new materials, including incoming material analysis, testing and qualification
• As a member of a dynamic team, you won’t just stay in your lane. You’ll jump in wherever needed from vetting new sustainable feedstock suppliers to identifying and researching new opportunity spaces

Skills

• Holds a Graduate Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or a related field, with at least 1 year of industry experience
• Brings a proactive, results-driven mindset and a strong willingness to learn - this is a hands-on role that requires curiosity and initiative
• Demonstrates solid skills in experimental design, with a passion for experimentation, data analysis, validation, and thorough documentation
• Has a first-principles knowledge of chemistry and structure-property relationships
• You thrive in a high-autonomy, fast-moving start-up environment - spotting opportunities, building structure from scratch, and moving projects forward without waiting for instruction
• Independent decision maker, you feel confident operating in ambiguity while driving clarity and momentum
• A do it yourself / can do mentality - not focussed on boundaries but interdisciplinary problem solving

Benefits

• 28 days holiday + statutory holidays
• Enhanced parental leave - 12 weeks maternity at full pay, 6 weeks paternity at full pay
• Heka wellbeing allowance - to spend on what matters to you - gym, therapy, nutrition, learning, fertility and menopause support, and lots of other options!
• Virtual GP - same or next day appointments and private prescriptions delivered to you
• Cycle to work scheme - buy, subscribe to, or share a bike with savings of up to 42% via salary sacrifice
• Competitive salary + equity options
• Growth and development opportunities as we scale
• Regular socials + daily catered lunch at the office

Company Overview