Polymer Chemist

1d1 day ago

VAST

Long Beach, US · Full-time · $84,200 – $142,100

About this role

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, with Haven-1 as the world’s first commercial space station launching in May 2026. Join our all-in team committed to executing safely and on time as a Polymer Chemist reporting to the Senior Materials & Processes Engineer.

Support the development of systems for human-rated space stations through research on advanced polymer materials, including composites, coatings, and elastomers. Focus on chemical stability, thermal decomposition, and outgassing/off-gassing under aerospace-relevant conditions. Operate and maintain key analytical instrumentation like SIFT-MS, TGA, FTIR, and TGA-FTIR.

Calibrate, validate, and optimize instruments for high reliability and data integrity. Troubleshoot equipment issues and liaise with vendors and stakeholders. Collaborate with cross-functional teams of materials, thermal, and systems engineers to integrate findings into design and testing.

Develop and refine methods for evolved gas analysis and real-time volatile detection, including SIFT-MS off-gas testing protocols. Ensure compliance with quality standards, best practices, and regulatory requirements. Work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity.

Requirements

3+ years of industrial or research experience in polymer characterization and analytical method development
Hands-on experience operating and maintaining TGA, FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC-MS, and SIFT-MS or CIMS instrumentation
Strong foundation in thermal analysis and gas-phase chemical detection
Expertise in SIFT-MS, TGA-FTIR, or TGA-MS data acquisition, method development, and result interpretation
Advanced knowledge of polymer degradation mechanisms and desorption processes
Experience validating analytical protocols and conducting method development for off-gassing and thermal stability testing

Responsibilities

Conduct research on advanced polymer materials-including composites, coatings, and elastomers- with a focus on chemical stability, thermal decomposition, and outgassing/off-gassing behavior under aerospace-relevant conditions.
Operate and maintain analytical instrumentation, including SIFT-MS, TGA, FTIR, and TGA-FTIR.
Calibrate, validate, and optimize performance of analytical instruments; ensure high reliability and data integrity.
Troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues; liaise with vendors, technical support, stakeholders as needed.
Develop, refine, and validate methods for evolved gas analysis (EGA) and real-time volatile detection, including off-gas testing protocols using SIFT-MS.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including materials, thermal, and systems engineers, to integrate findings into broader design and testing efforts.
Ensure compliance with internal quality standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements related to materials and chemical analysis.