R&D Scientist

Job Title:

R&D Scientist
Location: KZN
Industry: Chemical Manufacturing
Type: Permanent / Environment: R&D, Chemical Manufacturing, Laboratory

About the Role
A leading chemical manufacturing company based in Kwa Zulu-Natal, near Durban, is seeking an experienced R&D Scientist with a minimum of seven years' relevant industry experience.
This role is responsible for conducting both fundamental and applied research to develop innovative polymer technologies, resin chemistries and advanced formulations that support the company's long-term growth strategy.

The successful candidate will drive the development of sustainable, high-performance resin systems, strengthen the organisation's intellectual property portfolio, reduce reliance on licensed technologies, and translate scientific research into commercially viable products and scalable manufacturing processes.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished Polymer Scientist with a strong research background and a proven track record of independently conceptualising, developing and commercialising new technologies. The incumbent must be capable of leading research projects from scientific concept and laboratory development through pilot-scale evaluation to full manufacturing implementation, while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams and external research partners.

This position requires a combination of hands-on laboratory expertise, scientific leadership and strategic thinking, with a strong commitment to innovation, technical excellence, sustainability and the continuous advancement of polymer and resin technologies.



What you’ll be doing

• Conduct fundamental and applied research from first principles to develop innovative polymer chemistries, resin technologies and formulations.
• Design, synthesise and evaluate new polymer systems aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Develop sustainable polymer technologies incorporating renewable raw materials, recycled feed stocks and environmentally responsible chemistries.
• Develop alternative technologies that strengthen the company's intellectual property and reduce dependence on licensed technologies.
• Identify and develop breakthrough technologies supporting long-term business growth.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, scientific literature and market developments
• Contribute to patent generation, intellectual property development and proprietary technology
• Lead R&D projects from concept through laboratory development, pilot-scale trials, manufacturing implementation and commercialisation
• Manage multiple concurrent research projects while meeting agreed milestones and timelines.
• Translate laboratory developments into robust manufacturing processes.
• Support scale-up activities and manufacturing implementation
• Provide specialist technical support during customer qualification and product commercialisation.
• Prepare technical specifications, reports and supporting documentation
• Develop collaborative relationships with universities, research institutions, suppliers and technology partners
• Evaluate emerging raw materials, catalysts and processing technologies.
• Mentor chemists and technicians
• Promote a culture of innovation, scientific excellence and continuous improvement
• Support technical capability development and succession planning.

What you’ll need

• MSc (or internationally recognised equivalent postgraduate qualification) in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemistry or a closely related discipline
• Minimum 7–10 years' industrial R&D experience within polymer science, resin technology or related chemical industries
• Demonstrated experience developing new polymer chemistries and formulations from concept to commercialisation.
• Experience in polymer synthesis, formulation development, experimental design, statistical analysis of experimental data, scale-up and technology transfer, polymer characterisation.
• Proven track record of delivering innovative technologies with measurable commercial value
• Experience working with sustainability initiatives, circular economy technologies or renewable feed stocks would be advantageous.
• Experience working within an international technical environment or collaborating with external…