At RHEON LABS, a materials technology business serving the sports-clothing and impact protection sectors, we have an opportunity for a Senior Polymer Chemist to join our R&D Team. RHEON LABS specialises in developing and producing innovative, high-performance ‘energy control’ materials that enable sports apparel to enhance the wearer’s experience. This performance improvement can be – for example – a result of the active control of body movement or by offering class-leading impact protection in thin, flexible components. We are working with many of the global sporting brands, such Adidas, Decathlon and Fly Racing.
The Role
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development of novel polymer-based material formulations, applying expertise in polymer chemistry, formulation knowledge, and materials science.
- Manage and deliver multiple material development projects from concept through validation, ensuring technical milestones, timelines, and commercial objectives are achieved.
- Provide technical leadership and customer-facing support on collaborative development projects, translating application requirements into material solutions.
- Identify and drive opportunities to expand Rheon’s material technologies into new industries, applications, and commercial markets.
- Design and execute material characterization and testing programs using thermal, rheological, and chemical analysis techniques (MFI, DSC, TGA, DMA, FT-IR, tensile, tear, and hysteresis)
- Support polymer processing and scale-up activities across a range of manufacturing methods, including twin-screw compounding, injection moulding, cast film extrusion and additive manufacturing.
- Perform patent reviews, technical literature analysis, and market research to identify emerging technologies and innovation opportunities.
- Manage raw material sourcing, qualification, and performance evaluation to support development and production requirements.
- Ensure compliance with relevant chemical and product regulations, including REACH, SVHC, and preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS/SDS).
- Collaborate cross-functionally with production, quality, and commercial teams to ensure robust processing, reproducibility, and product quality.
Key Skills & Experience
· Strong technical background (MSc or PhD) in chemistry, polymer science, materials science, or related disciplines.
· Experience in polymer formulation, compounding, processing, and characterization.
· Ability to lead technical projects and manage customer-facing development activities.
· Working knowledge of chemical regulatory frameworks
· Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.
Our Offer to You
You will be:
· Playing a key role in a fast-growing organisation;
· Working on exciting, ground-breaking product developments with global sports brands;
· Enjoying a great office atmosphere of collective endeavour, exploration and mutual support;
· Developing not just new materials but also new, ground-breaking processes, capabilities and knowledge;
· Engaging in a role that will require formal, and informal communications with our high-profile customers and commercial partners;
· Working in a fast-paced, interesting, and very current sector;
· Working alongside highly experienced senior staff.
Benefits
- 30 days holiday
- Monthly team lab lunches
- Team events and clubs
- Office gym access
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Learning and development opportunities
About RHEON LABS
RHEON LABS has developed a revolutionary material that is capable of absorbing high levels of energy in impact, tension and vibration. It uses a property known as “strain-rate dependency” to allow this material to be flexible in normal use, but to “stiffen” instantaneously and temporarily when subject to an acute energy input. This material can be moulded directly onto clothing, incorporated into the fabric as a thread or coating, or laminated into/onto the material and is both breathable and washable. The technology is patent protected and emerged from research work carried out at Imperial College, London. See www.rheonlabs.com for further insight into this sports-focused proposition.
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