Research Scientist – Physical Organic Chemistry and Materials Characterization

AeroVironment•Bath Township, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

AV is seeking an entry-level Research Scientist to join our multidisciplinary team at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The Polymers and Responsive Materials Team is seeking a highly versatile and computationally-fluent scientist to work at the intersection of Physical Organic Chemistry and Materials Physics. This role is designed for a researcher who thrives on applying advanced analytical toolkits, ranging from AI/ML to advanced spectroscopy techniques, across a diverse portfolio of research initiatives. As a key member of our lab, you will not be siloed into a single project. Instead, you will provide the digital-first characterization and mechanistic evaluation necessary to advance materials discovery for extreme environments, bio-inspired elastomers, and autonomous laboratory workflows. You will drive the characterization and data-driven analysis for several high-impact research areas, including: Space Survivability: Investigating how extreme stressors, such as atomic oxygen and ionizing radiation, interact with and degrade organic surfaces. Hierarchical Materials: Mapping the nanostructure and self-assembly of peptide-based synthetic rubbers and hybrid polymers. Closed-Loop Discovery: Integrating laboratory hardware with AI/ML optimization to automate the discovery of resilient, functional materials. This is a pipeline requisition posted in advance of approved headcount for future hiring needs. Our team is always interested in speaking with exceptional candidates though please note this is a Pipeline posting with more of an eye towards our future needs rather than necessarily being an immediate hire.

Requirements

This position requires working within a government facility and requires U.S. Citizenship
MS or PhD in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Physics, or a related field
0-1 years of experience
Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis, modeling, or laboratory automation.
Expertise in spectroscopy and a strong foundational understanding of physical organic chemistry or polymer physics.

Nice To Haves

Experience with X-ray or neutron scattering (or a strong desire to lead beamline experiments), preferred
Familiarity with the physics of elastomers, rubbers, or soft matter, preferred
Demonstrated interest in Machine Learning or Bayesian optimization as applied to physical sciences, preferred
Understanding of polymer degradation mechanisms in response to oxidation or radiation, preferred

Responsibilities

Use XPS, FTIR, and NMR to identify molecular-level degradation pathways.
Design and execute experiments at synchrotron facilities using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS) to probe the morphology of soft matter.
Leverage Python to automate data processing from complex analytical instruments and implement AI/ML models for performance prediction.
Correlate chemical changes with macro-scale performance through DMA, tensile testing, and rheological analysis.
Modify or build experimental hardware interfaces using open-source tools to enable automated, high-throughput characterization.