Job Description

Position Title: (Sr.) Polyol Scientist

Location: Menlo Park, CA

Employment Type: Full-time, On-site

About the Company

Our client is a company at the forefront of sustainable materials innovation, developing technologies to transform waste into valuable chemical products. The team is dedicated to advancing circular economy solutions through cutting-edge chemical technology, materials science, engineering, and process development.

Job Summary

We are seeking a results-driven (Sr.) Polyol Scientist to lead formulation and innovation efforts for next-generation polyols derived from feedstocks. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in polyol synthesis and properties optimization, with a track record of enabling new polyurethane formulations and applications through improved polyol design.

What You’ll Do

• Design and develop new grades of polyester polyols to expand the company’s polyurethane (PU) application portfolio. Initial KPIs include the development of 2–3 viable new polyol grades for customer sampling within 6 months, and demonstration of scale-up readiness with a focus on successfully validating such polyols in downstream PU applications within 12 months.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in polyol products to support other company scientists in polyurethane product formulation development.
• Establish polyol structure-performance correlations through rigorous testing (GPC, FTIR, DSC, NMR, etc.) and performance benchmarking.
• Guide pilot- and production-scale synthesis of new polyol formulations in collaboration with internal scale-up team and external tollers.
• Contribute to IP generation, technical documentation, and scale-up readiness for commercialization.
• Support polyol sales and customer applications as the technical product expert, by providing product recommendations, and translating customer and sales feedback into product improvements as required.
• Collaborate with R&D team members to ensure polyol product quality, supporting developments in other areas of the company’s technology platform.
• Translate structure-property relationships into actionable polyol improvements (e.g., molecular weight, functionality, hydroxyl value, viscosity).
• Collaborate cross-functionally with scientists, engineers, and commercial teams to tailor polyol performance to customer and market needs.
• Evaluate downstream polyurethane formulations (e.g., foams, elastomers, coatings) using polyols, optimizing for technical feasibility and ease of production.

About You

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Polymer Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or Materials Science, with 5–10 years of industry experience in polyol and polyurethane R&D.
• Willing and able to conduct hands-on laboratory research in polyol and polyurethane synthesis, characterization, and product development.
• Effective collaborator with proven ability to work with team members of varying backgrounds and levels of training.
• Demonstrated success in, and hands-on experience with developing or improving polyol technologies that enabled broader polyurethane applications.
• Deep understanding of polyol types (e.g., polyester, polyether, hybrid), structure-property-performance dynamics, and downstream PU chemistries.
• Detail-oriented, with excellent problem-solving and project management skills.
• Strong communication skills to interface with internal technical teams and external partners/customers.

Nice To Have

• Experience with polyol scale-up, tolling, and manufacturing integration is a strong plus.
• Experience at a leading polyol or PU manufacturer.

Compensation & Benefits

• $100,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year (depending on experience)

Benefits include:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Berkner Group has been retained to execute this search. If you were contacted by Berkner Group, please reply to the person who contacted you. If you are applying to a job posting, please email your resume and a brief introduction to careers@berknergroup.com. Please include your name and the title for this position ([Your name] - (Sr.) Polyol Scientist - L793WYY5) in the subject line of your email. We look forward to hearing from you!

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