Scientist/Associate (Ph.D.)

Exponent Inc. • Menlo Park, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Exponent is the only premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients’ most profoundly unique, unprecedented, and urgent challenges.
Our vision is to engage multidisciplinary teams of science, engineering, and regulatory experts to empower clients with solutions that create a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. For over five decades, we've connected the lessons of past failures with tomorrow's solutions to advise clients as they innovate technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability.
Join our team of experts with degrees from top programs at over 500 universities and extensive experience spanning a variety of industries. At Exponent, you’ll contribute to the diverse pool of ideas, talents, backgrounds, and experiences that drives our collaborative teamwork and breakthrough insights. Plus, we help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning. Thanks for your interest in joining our team!
Key statistics:
950+ Consultants
640+ Ph.D.s
90+ Disciplines
30+ Offices globally
Our Opportunity
We are currently seeking a Polymer Scientist for our Polymers & Chemistry Practice in Menlo Park, CA. In this role you will work as part of an interdisciplinary team contributing to a diverse set of projects from industries such as pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer products, construction, infrastructure and automotive. This position requires some travel and will involve collaborating with scientists and engineers from other Exponent offices and practices. A long-term goal for a successful candidate will be to develop business by obtaining new projects and bringing new clients to the firm.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
• Well-developed understanding of polymer and materials characterization
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Must be able to convey complex technical information to individuals in engineering, business, legal and related industries
• Ability to work within project teams with strong desire to contribute; have potential for technical and project managerial leadership
• Superior problem-solving abilities
• Strong educational and publication credentials
• This is a Menlo Park, CA based position. The successful applicant must live in (or be willing to relocate to) the Menlo Park, CA area AND be enthusiastic about regularly working in the office
• Presently legally authorized to work in the United States. No immigration sponsorship or processing required
• Applicants are encouraged to submit a CV (Curriculum Vitae) with publications (feel free to include publications that are in review or pending) [not restricted to 1 page].

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of polymer bulk physical properties, structure-property relations, mechanics, polymer fracture analysis, and/or polymer processing preferred
• Strong background and hands-on experience in polymer/chemical characterization techniques, such as FTIR, DSC, TGA, DMA, and GPC. Experience characterizing non-conductive materials using electron microscopy (SEM) is a plus
• Experience testing and characterizing elastomer materials preferred
• Experience with the design, assembly, and execution of novel or non-standard testing

Responsibilities

• Inspecting, testing and analyzing various polymeric materials to assess their specifications and/or reliability in a variety of applications from a wide range of industries
• Performing root cause investigations on failing or underperforming materials/components by scientifically examining the development, manufacturing or end-use environment of products specified for use in the construction, medical device, consumer electronics, and consumer products
• Analyzing information and conveying technical conclusions to individuals in engineering, business, law, and industry, as well as communicating testing rationale in the context of product development, product defect claims, and intellectual property disputes

Benefits

• Our firm is committed to offering a variety of programs and resources to support health and well-being.
• We believe that providing competitive benefits as well as compensation and recognition programs empowers our staff to do work that makes a difference.
• At the Associate and Senior Associate level, total compensation includes base salary, bi-weekly bonuses for high-intensity efforts, annual bonus and 401(k) employer contribution of 7% of base salary.
• Access benefits information on our Life@Exponent page: https://www.exponent.com/careers/life-exponent

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree