Coating Formulation Scientist

About Us

Demeter Bio is a frontier materials company advancing the next generation of PFAS‑free materials. We combine polymer systems, biomimicry, materials engineering, and sustainable chemistry to address urgent performance and environmental challenges facing modern industries.

We are seeking a Scientist in Textile Coatings with strong industrial formulation experience to support the development of PFAS‑free durable water repellent (DWR) technologies for performance fabrics and technical textiles.

You will drive formulation, surface engineering, and textile finishing processes from lab scale through pilot validation of our flagship product Agua Shield, working at the intersection of polymer science, surface chemistry, and textile engineering.

This role is ideal for someone who wants to create category‑defining sustainable materials for the global apparel industry.

• Design and optimize Agua Shield, our fluorine‑free DWR coating formulation
• Develop polymer systems for durable hydrophobic performance
• Engineer coatings for desired performance levels
• Optimize formulations for manufacturability, cost, and processing robustness

• Apply finishes using industry methods
• Evaluate repellency performance using standardised tests
• Interpret performance results in the context of industrial processing conditions

• Analyze surface properties, energies and film morphology
• Optimize coating‑fiber interactions and durability mechanisms
• Collaborate on analytical testing

PhD or MSc in one of the following:

• Textile Chemistry / Textile Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry / Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Physical Chemistry (Surface & Interface focus)
• Coatings Science

• Proven experience developing coating finishes
• Preferred experience in textile finishing, coatings, or functional materials
• Hands‑on coating formulation experience

• Lab‑Savvy: You have hands‑on lab experience, ideally in a biotech or materials science setting.
• Available On‑Site: You’re able and excited to work physically in our lab during weekdays in London (core hours).
• Startup‑Minded: You’re proactive, driven, resourceful, and thrive in dynamic environments where no two days are the same.