Research Associate - Chemistry
About The Position
Exthymic is an early-stage deep-tech startup working to make curative, patient-specific cell therapies more widely accessible through point-of-care manufacturing. The Research Associate will contribute to chemistry and materials R&D, supporting the development of functional surface polymers for the company’s platform. This bench-first role involves polymer synthesis and characterization, rigorous experimental documentation, and collaboration with senior scientists in a fast-moving environment with evolving requirements and limited precedent. The role is suited to a chemist with hands-on polymer synthesis experience, working knowledge of polymer characterization, and familiarity with surface functionalization or bioconjugation chemistry. The position also supports broader R&D activities as project priorities evolve.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
- Hands-on laboratory experience in polymer synthesis, including internship, co-op, or full-time experience.
- Working knowledge of polymer characterization techniques such as NMR, FTIR, GPC, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated attention to detail in experimental design, data collection, and laboratory notebook documentation.
- Comfort working in a fast-moving, early-stage environment with evolving requirements and limited precedent.
- Collaborative, transparent, and mission-driven approach to teamwork.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with various polymerization methodologies.
- Experience with bioconjugation or self-assembled monolayer chemistry.
- Familiarity with bioconjugation strategies, including click chemistry approaches.
- Experience in a GMP-, GLP-, or ISO-regulated laboratory environment.
- Comfort with data analysis tools such as Mnova, Excel, Python, or JMP for processing characterization data, and structure-drawing tools such as ChemDraw.
- Prior experience in an early-stage startup or academic research lab with end-to-end ownership of experiments.
- Interest in cell therapy, biomedical device development, or biomanufacturing.
Responsibilities
- Synthesize and iterate on bench-scale functional surface polymers with tunable functional group compositions.
- Adjust monomer ratios, reaction conditions, and post-synthesis modifications to meet performance specifications for functional group density, hydrophilicity, and batch-to-batch consistency.
- Characterize polymer structure, molecular weight, and dispersity using NMR, FTIR, GPC, or equivalent techniques.
- Track and report characterization metrics, including batch-to-batch coefficient of variance against defined acceptance criteria.
- Maintain accurate laboratory notebooks and electronic experimental records.
- Contribute to drafting and revising SOPs as protocols mature.
- Promptly flag deviations and out-of-spec results and participate in root-cause investigations.
- Assist senior scientists with reagent preparation, equipment maintenance, and ad hoc characterization tasks.
- Contribute to internal technical summaries and regular team reviews.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k) match and retirement savings plans.
- Optional accident and term life offerings.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
