Polymer Research Scientist
About Manastu
Manastu Space is a Space Safety and Logistics company focused on making space safe, sustainable, and accessible. We develop technologies to address critical challenges such as space debris mitigation and green propulsion, enabling safer satellite operations, and long-term sustainability of the space ecosystem.
Our work sits at the intersection of advanced engineering, applied research, and mission-critical systems, requiring deep technical capability and long-term thinking.
Website: https://www.manastuspace.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/
Email: [Confidential Information]
Role Objective
Lead scientific research and development to identify and solve the fundamental challenges associated with the development and production of polymer and polymer coated components that ensures a safe, reliable, and long-duration storage of hydrogen peroxide–based propellants.
The role is responsible for understanding, executing and controlling the polymer material characteristics from the fundamental molecular and structure-property level to improve the shelf life and thereby the mission life of a Hydrogen Peroxide based propulsion system.
Identify and implement solutions for the degradation mechanism and kinetics, propellant–material interactions of polymer sealing as well as polymer coated components that govern storage stability in propulsion systems, and translating these insights into stabilization strategies, compatibility limits, and predictive models required for flight-qualified propulsion hardware.
Role Overview
We are seeking a Polymer Research Scientist to join our growing aerospace organization facility in Navi Mumbai, with strong expertise in high-performance engineering polymers like Fluoropolymers and polymer coating application on metals substate.
This role focuses on understanding and controlling the molecular, kinetic, and materials-level behavior of specialty polymers like Fluoropolymers which get continuously exposed to H₂O₂-based propulsion systems under real engineering constraints.
You will work at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and propulsion hardware, contributing to the development of stable, reliable, and flight-ready peroxide-based propulsion systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and drive the overall R&D strategy for polymer materials and coating systems, ensuring alignment with propulsion system requirements and long-term mission objectives.
- Identify key technical risks and lead to the development of scalable, high-performance polymers through structured research, cross-functional collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.
- Identify and lead improvements in the current polymer components quality across the value chain from raw materials, formulations, processing and to the final product.
- Establish predictive models for polymer lifetime determination and compatibility with highly oxidizing propellant storage systems, linking material interactions to system-level outcomes such as pressure rise and propellant concentration loss.
- Perform the root cause analysis of failures associated with polymer material components across the system due to different material interfaces and operating conditions and execute corrective actions.
- Proactively identify, analyze, and address challenges related to polymer product development and performance.
- Identify, evaluate, and establish novel polymer materials suitable for long-term propellant storage ensuring compatibility with highly oxidizing environments and degradation resistance.
- Lead the development, implementation of polymer coating strategies for long-term storage of highly oxidizing propellant by building a molecular-level understanding of polymer - propellant interactions.
- Design and execute experimental programs to qualify polymeric components under mission-relevant conditions, including propellant exposure, pressure, temperature, and material interfaces and trace contamination levels.
- Enhance the shelf life of various polymer components including polymer coated parts as well as sealing components through necessary changes in raw material formulation to improve compatibility with the highly oxidizing propellant.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering teams with engineers and technical teams to brainstorm, identify the technical challenges and develop effective solutions.
- Document experimental findings, generate high quality technical reports, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
- Lead and mentor junior researchers, providing technical guidance and fostering a collaborative, high-performance team of culture.
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations, particularly in aerospace applications.
Experience & Background
- PhD in Polymer Science, Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, or related field with specialization in polymer degradation, high-performance coatings, fluoropolymers, or chemical-resistant materials with 2-3 years of work experience in the relevant field.
- Proven experience in managing complex R&D projects, with a history of problem-solving in polymer formulation, processing, and testing for high-end applications.
- Candidate should be capable to work in timeline driven, result oriented and fast paced environment
- Strong background in different polymer characterization techniques such as SEM-EDX, ATR-FTIR, NMR, and other spectroscopic methods.
- Experience with elastomer formulation and modification for critical applications.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of polymer fundamentals, structure-property relationships, and processing methods.
- Expertise fluoroelastomers and fluoroplastics, with experience in sealing applications.
- In-depth experience in polymer coatings on metal surfaces for chemical storage, with hands-on knowledge of coating processes.
- Extensive knowledge in establishing polymer shelf-life in contact with fuels, and testing methodologies.
- Capability of carrying out in-depth literature survey, process and method development, and the establishment of SOPs.
- Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex problems and deliver innovative solutions in polymer science and engineering.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of conveying technical challenges and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
If you are motivated by building enduring technical institutions and solving complex hiring challenges at scale, we would like to hear from you ([HIDDEN TEXT]).
