{"id":1955720,"url":"https://alion.io/job/job-mail-rd-scientist","title":"R&D Scientist","company":{"id":701519,"name":"Job Mail","domain":"jobmail.co.za","url":"https://alion.io/company/job-mail","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":true,"employer_type":"agency","is_intermediary":true,"listed_via":"jobmail.co.za","ats_vendor":"Schema","truth_index":{"grade":"C","score":65,"open_postings":6893,"ghost_share":0.489,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0.711,"time_to_fill_p50_days":7,"computed_at":"2026-10-25T05:49:26Z"}},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Durban, South 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chemistries.\nDevelop alternative technologies that strengthen the company's intellectual property and reduce dependence on licensed technologies.\nIdentify and develop breakthrough technologies supporting long-term business growth.\nEvaluate emerging technologies, scientific literature and market developments\nContribute to patent generation, intellectual property development and proprietary technology\nLead R&D projects from concept through laboratory development, pilot-scale trials, manufacturing implementation and commercialisation\nManage multiple concurrent research projects while meeting agreed milestones and timelines.\nTranslate laboratory developments into robust manufacturing processes.\nSupport scale-up activities and manufacturing implementation\nProvide specialist technical support during customer qualification and product commercialisation.\nPrepare technical specifications, reports and supporting documentation\nDevelop collaborative relationships with universities, research institutions, suppliers and technology partners\nEvaluate emerging raw materials, catalysts and processing technologies.\nMentor chemists and technicians\nPromote a culture of innovation, scientific excellence and continuous improvement\nSupport technical capability development and succession planning.\nWhat you’ll need\nMSc (or internationally recognised equivalent postgraduate qualification) in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemistry or a closely related discipline\nMinimum 7-10 years' industrial R&D experience within polymer science, resin technology or related chemical industries\nDemonstrated experience developing new polymer chemistries and formulations from concept to commercialisation.\nExperience in polymer synthesis, formulation development, experimental design, statistical analysis of experimental data, scale-up and technology transfer, polymer characterisation.\nProven track record of delivering innovative technologies with measurable commercial value\nExperience working with sustainability initiatives, circular economy technologies or renewable feedstocks would be advantageous.\nExperience working within an international technical environment or collaborating with external research institutions would be advantageous.\nScientific innovation and creative problem solving\nTechnology awareness and innovation mindset\nCustomer and business focus\nWhat is in it for you?\nMarket related remuneration, including benefits\nOpportunity to lead the development of next-generation polymer technologies\nExposure to cutting-edge research focused on sustainability, circular economy and advanced materials\nA technically challenging role with significant influence on the company's future innovation strategy.\nOpportunities to collaborate with leading universities, research institutions and international technology partners\nCompetitive remuneration package aligned with qualifications and experience.\nProfessional development and career growth within a leading polymer manufacturing company.\nA Few Things to Know\nCommitment to Safety, Customer Service, Integrity, and Innovation is at the heart of our success.\nWe are looking for a results-driven Manager who has the ability to work under pressure and has a mindset of continuous improvement\nReady to Apply?\n Click Apply and please complete your application in full.\nIf you don’t hear from us within 3 months, your application was not successful. However, we may contact you for other roles in the future (with your permission).\nData Privacy Notice\n By applying, you consent to Elchemie processing your personal data for the purpose of job matching. 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