Our Company Novoloop is the Lifecycling™ company: we envision a world where waste materials become building blocks, and hard-to-recycle plastics are remade into something better. We have developed an innovative process that converts post-consumer polyethylene into valuable, virgin-quality polyester polyol and polyurethane products. Job Summary Novoloop is seeking a full-time, hands-on Formulation Scientist to develop, optimize, and translate polyurethane and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) formulations from laboratory concepts into robust, scalable products and processes. The role will span formulation design, polymer synthesis and modification, compounding/processing, analytical and physical characterization, application development, troubleshooting, and technology transfer to toll and contract manufacturers. The ideal candidate combines strong polymer science with practical formulation and processing expertise. They are able to connect chemistry and formulation variables to structure-property-processing relationships, design efficient experiments, interpret data quantitatively, and turn laboratory results into reproducible manufacturing and customer-ready products. The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently in a fast-paced startup environment and collaborating closely with R&D, Sales, Operations, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and customers.

Location :

On-site in

Menlo Park, CA Travel :

Some travel (typically 5-10%) may be required to support toll manufacturing, technology transfer, tradeshows, supplier activities, or customer technical support. Key Responsibilities Design and execute laboratory experiments to develop new and improved TPU and other polyurethane products, including formulation screening, polymer synthesis/modification, compounding, processing, and characterization. Translate application and customer requirements into measurable technical targets, formulation strategies, test plans, and product specifications. Develop and optimize polyurethane formulations using structure-property-processing relationships, systematic formulation screening, design of experiments (DOE), and quantitative analysis of experimental data. Optimize laboratory-scale synthesis and processing conditions to establish robust operating windows and enable scale-up, technology transfer, and toll manufacturing. Support transfer of formulations and processes from laboratory scale to pilot and commercial/toll manufacturing, including preparation of formulation specifications, batch records, process instructions, and technical transfer documentation. Work directly with internal team members and, as applicable, toll manufacturers and customers to troubleshoot processing and product-quality issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions. Develop practical understanding of TPU processing behavior, including drying, melt rheology, thermal history, residence time, extrusion/compounding, molding, and other relevant processing operations. Characterize polymers and finished products using appropriate analytical, thermal, rheological, mechanical, and physical-property techniques; interpret results in the context of formulation and processing variables. Produce customer samples, prototypes, technical data packages, and application-development materials in support of commercial and Sales activities. Plan and prioritize experimental work to meet project milestones, balancing near-term customer and manufacturing needs with longer-term product and technology development. Maintain clear, complete, and reproducible records of formulations, experiments, processing conditions, analytical data, conclusions, and decisions. Prepare research proposals, experimental plans, batch records, SOPs, technical reports, presentations, and other documentation required for R&D and manufacturing activities. Interface with raw-material suppliers, contract manufacturers, contract testing laboratories, customers, and other external partners as required. Identify opportunities to improve existing methods, formulations, processes, and technologies and contribute to new intellectual property. Troubleshoot development and manufacturing problems using structured root-cause analysis and develop practical, data-driven solutions. Communicate technical findings clearly to R&D colleagues, cross-functional teams, management, external manufacturing partners, and customers. Required Qualifications PhD in organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field; or master's degree with 3+ years of relevant industrial experience; or bachelor's degree with 5+ years of relevant industrial experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. Demonstrated experience developing or optimizing polymer formulations, materials, or products to meet defined performance requirements. Strong understanding of polymer structure-property relationships and the ability to connect molecular/compositional variables to material performance. Hands-on experience with polymer characterization and interpretation of data from techniques such as NMR, FTIR, GC-MS, GPC/SEC, DSC, TGA, rheology, and mechanical testing, as applicable. Practical experience with polymer processing and/or compounding, such as extrusion, reactive extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, solvent casting, or related methods. Demonstrated ability to independently plan experiments, analyze data, troubleshoot problems, and make technically sound recommendations. Ability to work effectively across R&D, Sales, Operations, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and other external partners. Commitment to safe laboratory practices and willingness to work with hazardous chemicals and polymer-processing equipment. Preferred Qualifications Direct experience with TPU, polyurethane elastomers, polyester polyols, or related segmented/block polymer systems. Experience with reactive extrusion, TPU compounding, pelletizing, drying, injection molding, or other commercial thermoplastic processing operations. Experience scaling polymer formulations or processes from laboratory to pilot or commercial manufacturing, particularly through toll or contract manufacturers. Experience developing formulation/process windows and assessing sensitivity to raw-material variability and processing conditions. Experience with rheology and use of rheological data to understand or predict processing behavior and product performance. Experience applying DOE, statistical analysis, or other structured experimental-design methods to formulation or process optimization. Experience supporting customer qualification, application development, technical service, or product commercialization. Prior industrial experience in specialty chemicals, polymers, polyurethane materials, or related performance-materials industries.

What Success Looks Like:

New formulations move efficiently from laboratory proof-of-concept to reproducible, application-relevant material performance. Laboratory formulations and processes can be transferred to toll or contract manufacturing with clear specifications, defined process windows, and minimal avoidable iteration. Formulation and processing problems are resolved through disciplined experimentation and root-cause analysis rather than trial-and-error alone. Customer and application requirements are translated into technically rigorous formulation and testing plans. Experimental data, conclusions, and manufacturing learnings are documented well enough to accelerate subsequent development work.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$90,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Employee assistance program Health insurance Health savings account Paid time off Parental leave Vision insurance Application Question(s): Which engineering thermoplastics have you designed and formulated? What properties were you targeting?

Education:

Doctorate (Preferred)

Experience:

engineering thermoplastic formulation: 3 years (Required)

Work Location:

In person