Principal Polymer Chemist.

Careers that Change Lives

As a member of the Medtronic Diabetes Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Sensor R&D team, this Principal will support the technology development for next generation CGM products.

You will be responsible for providing technical leadership to the broader organization, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving innovation in materials for application in sensors.

This role will support product development activities that originate from technology development efforts including synthesis, formulation and characterization of materials & drive structured in vitro, pre-clinical and clinical studies.

The candidate should have strong polymer chemistry, organic synthesis, bioconjugation, analytical chemistry, material science and communication skills to be successful in this role.

A Day in the Life Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.

• Lead and manage research projects focused on the development of new polymer materials and processes for application in enzyme-based, electrochemical biosensor development.
• Design & conduct experiments to synthesize and characterize polymers with desired properties (pore size, charge / surface chemistry, conductivity, functionalization, block composition etc) tailored for specific sensing applications.
• Develop innovative conjugation methodologies to achieve site-specific and controlled attachment of polymers to proteins / small molecules while preserving their structural integrity and bioactivity.
• Characterize synthesized polymers and formulated materials using advanced analytical techniques such as rheology, thermal analysis, FTIR, NMR, GPC, Gravimetric analyses, mechanical testing etc.
• Perform bulk material characterization in terms of analyte flux / permeability, selectivity, fouling resistance and durability.
• Design and optimize polymeric formulations including material selection, blending and processing for membrane fabrication (spray, spin, slot, dip, casing, molding, surface modification etc) to meet specific sensor performance criteria.
• Leverage design of experiments (DOE) to screen formulation designs; select appropriate analytical / material techniques to develop process-structure-property correlations and characterize product / process.
• Develop and optimize polymerization processes to scale up production while maintaining quality.
• Compile and analyze all data-streams and formulate relevant, scientifically based conclusions; conduct briefings with senior leaders within job function to communicate project updates.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, materials, process development, quality and manufacturing to address technical challenges and meet project objectives and timelines.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior chemists and research associates; Effectively delegate work as appropriate.
• Research, identify & recommend emerging innovations aligned with divisional needs and strategic vectors of the team; contribute to IP development through patent filings.
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscape in polymer chemistry, materials research and characterization techniques.

Must Have : Minimum Requirements

Bachelors of Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering and 7+ years of relevant experience

Masters of Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering degree and 5+ years of relevant experience

Nice to Have

• PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science / Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or related Sciences / Engineering
• Medical device / biotechnology / pharmaceutical industry experience
• Extensive experience with synthesis of functional polymer materials using a wide range of polymerization techniques (step-growth, chain-growth, radical, electropolymerication etc)
• Strong understanding of polymerization kinetics and polymer structure-property relationships, and polymer processing techniques.
• Solid knowledge of protein chemistry and bioconjugation supporting applications in drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, diagnostics, tissue engineering etc.
• Familiarity with chemical modification of surfaces such as small molecules / biomolecules immobilization, adhesion / bonding of surfaces etc
• Familiarity with a variety of material deposition processes such as spray, spin, dip, slot, extrusion, molding, casting, electropolymerization, electroplating etc
• Familiarity with a variety of material characterization & Surface analysis techniques such as XPS, DSC, TGA, GPC, XRD, SIMS, FTIR, Raman, DMA, TMA, SEM, Optical Microscopy, etc
• Experienced with DOEs and statistical data analysis methods (T-test, ANOVA & significance testing etc)
• Excellent communication / presentation skills, solid writing skills & collaborative interpersonal skills.
• Highly detail-oriented, organized, self-driven showing initiative & ambition.
• Excellent problems solving skills including out-of-the-box thinking in finding solutions to challenges.
• Results-oriented driver with hands-on, can-do mentality & the flexibility to adapt to changes quickly
• Ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment with challenging deadlines to help the company keep its leading edge.
30+ days ago