R&D PhD Summer Intern – Polymer Synthesis

Procter & Gamble

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Research and Development (R&D) at Procter & Gamble, the largest consumer packaged goods company in the world, includes a diverse group of roles that contribute to the innovation and development of our products. It encompasses roles in product research, formulation, testing, and scientific analysis. You will find variety and excitement starting Day 1. This internship is specifically designed for individuals working towards a PhD who are developing proficiency in their field. As an intern or co-op in management, you will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in a supportive environment. This is a 12-week paid internship, designed to provide you with a solid foundation for future career growth. The internship will take place from May (potentially early June) to August of 2027. Join us at P&G, where your contributions will play a vital role in shaping the future of consumer products! This PhD internship will focus on understanding structure-property relationships in polymeric materials as part of our Corporate Function R&D team. The intern will synthesize and characterize well-defined polymer systems, investigate how molecular architecture influences material behavior, and generate experimental data to evaluate and refine computational model predictions. The intern will work closely with both experimental polymer scientists and computational modelers, gaining experience at the interface of materials development and simulation. By integrating experimental and modeling approaches, the assignment will address fundamental questions in polymer science while supporting active industrial materials innovation efforts.

Requirements

Working toward a PhD in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated expertise in a broad range of polymer synthesis and modification techniques, including the functionalization of polysaccharides and other natural materials.
Ability to independently select, execute, and interpret polymer characterization methods, including NMR, SEC/GPC, FTIR, rheology, thermal analysis, and related analytical methods.
Experience preparing and testing materials to evaluate physical, mechanical, and performance properties.
Demonstrated ability to independently plan and execute laboratory research, including polymer synthesis, characterization, data analysis, and interpretation.
Ability to troubleshoot experimental challenges and solve complex technical problems.
Experience documenting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating scientific data and results.
Ability to work onsite at our Mason Business and Innovation Center a minimum of 3-5 days per week.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with polymer physics, soft materials, molecular modeling, molecular simulation, coarse-grained modeling, self-consistent field theory, or other computational approaches used to predict polymer structure-property relationships is beneficial.
Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment spanning experimental and computational research.
Proficiency with Python-based scientific computing and data analysis tools for processing, visualizing, and interpreting experimental and computational datasets.

Responsibilities

Synthesis of a series of polymer materials with controlled molecular architectures using established internal and published methods.
Structural characterization of synthesized materials using relevant analytical techniques.
Preparation and testing of materials to evaluate key physical and mechanical properties.
Comparison of experimental results with computational model predictions to assess model accuracy and identify opportunities for refinement.