Sr Principal Polymer Chemist.

MedtronicNorthridge, California, US

30+ days ago

Job description

Careers that Change Lives

As a member of the Medtronic Diabetes – Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Sensor R&D team, this Sr. Principal will support the technology development for next generation CGM products.You will be responsible for providing technical leadership to the broader organization, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving innovation in materials for application in sensors. This role will support product development activities that originate from technology development efforts including characterizing physiochemical properties of materials & driving structured pre-clinical and clinical studies. The candidate should have strong polymer chemistry, organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, material science and communication skills to be successful in this role.

A Day in the Life Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.

Lead and manage research projects focused on the development of new polymer materials and processes for application in enzyme-based, electrochemical biosensor development.
Design & conduct experiments to synthesize and characterize polymers with desired properties (pore size, charge / surface chemistry, block composition etc) tailored for specific sensing applications.
Characterize synthesized polymers and formulated materials using advanced analytical techniques such as rheology, thermal analysis, FTIR, NMR, GPC, Gravimetric analyses, mechanical testing etc.
Perform bulk material characterization in terms of analyte flux, permeability, selectivity, fouling resistance and durability.
Design and optimize polymeric formulations including material selection, blending and processing for membrane fabrication (spray, spin, slot, dip, casing, molding, surface modification etc) to meet specific sensor performance criteria.
Leverage design of experiments (DOE) to screen formulation designs; select appropriate analytical / material techniques to develop process-structure-property correlations and characterize product / process.
Develop and optimize polymerization processes to scale up production while maintaining quality.
Compile and analyze all data-streams and formulate relevant, scientifically based conclusions; conduct briefings with senior leaders within job function to communicate project updates.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, materials, process development, quality and manufacturing to address technical challenges and meet project objectives and timelines.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior chemists and research associates; Effectively delegate work as appropriate.
Research, identify & recommend emerging innovations aligned with divisional needs and strategic vectors of the team; contribute to IP development through patent filings.
Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscape in polymer chemistry, materials research and characterization techniques.

Must Have : Minimum Requirements

Bachelors of Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering and 10+ years of relevant experience

Masters of Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering degree and 8+ years of relevant experience

Nice to Have

PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering

Medical device / biotechnology / pharmaceutical industry experience

Synthesis / development of functional polymer materials / oligomers & various polymerization techniques

Strong understanding of polymerization kinetics and polymer structure-property relationships, and polymer processing techniques.

Familiarity with chemical modification of surfaces such as small molecules / biomolecules immobilization, adhesion / bonding of surfaces etc

Familiarity with a variety of material deposition processes such as spray, spin, dip, slot, extrusion, molding, casting, electropolymerization, electroplating etc

Familiarity with a variety of material characterization & Surface analysis techniques such as XPS, DSC, TGA, GPC, XRD, SIMS, FTIR, Raman, DMA, TMA, SEM, Optical Microscopy, etc

Good working knowledge of DOEs and statistical data analysis methods (T-test, ANOVA & significance testing etc)

Excellent communication / presentation skills, solid writing skills & collaborative interpersonal skills.

Highly detail-oriented, organized, self-driven showing initiative & ambition.

Excellent problems solving skills including out-of-the-box thinking in finding solutions to challenges.

Results-oriented driver with hands-on, can-do mentality & the flexibility to adapt to changes quickly

Ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment with challenging deadlines to help the company keep its leading edge.