Senior Materials Engineer, Thermoplastics and Compounding

Lyten•San Jose, CA

About The Position

Lyten is hiring a Senior Materials Engineer to develop advanced thermoplastic compounds and 3D-printing filaments. The role owns the upstream portion of product development: designing materials, compounding and testing them, printing with them, and delivering a first product ready for launch handoff. The engineer partners with the Product Manager, who leads launch and commercial support, and remains accountable for material performance during printing and use. The work bridges materials science, manufacturing, and customer needs. The successful candidate applies polymer-processing expertise and structured engineering problem-solving to identify whether an issue originates in the material, process, or application, determine root causes, and drive solutions. The role emphasizes delivering reliable products rather than open-ended research. Prior additive-manufacturing experience is not required.

Requirements

BS with at least 5 years of experience, MS with at least 3 years of experience, or PhD in Polymer Science, Polymer/Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
Working knowledge of polymer structure–property relationships and polymer rheology, with the ability to apply them to production and development problems.
Hands-on thermoplastic compounding and melt-processing experience, particularly twin-screw extrusion, in a production or scale-up setting.
Demonstrated engineering problem-solving skills, including structured root-cause analysis such as DOE, failure analysis, or process characterization, and a record of driving issues to resolution.
Experience with fillers and additives in thermoplastics, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, or graphene, including their dispersion and effects on processing and properties.
Familiarity with polymer characterization methods, including rheology, thermal analysis, and mechanical testing, and the ability to interpret and act on data.
Ability to run and interpret 3D-print tests, with familiarity with FFF/FDM printing.
Comfort working on a production floor and traveling to supplier sites, approximately 10 percent.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for working with suppliers and internal teams.

Nice To Haves

In-depth experience with 3D printing or additive manufacturing, particularly FFF/FDM filament.
Experience with filament extrusion, including diameter control and spooling.
Familiarity with engineering thermoplastics such as PA, PC, PEEK, or PEI.
Experience taking thermoplastic products from development through manufacturing.
Customer-facing or applications-engineering experience.
Working knowledge of ASTM/ISO polymer test standards.
Experience working with contract manufacturers, including audits and corrective-action processes.
Ability to make and defend technical tradeoff decisions involving cost, quality, and schedule.

Responsibilities

Design and develop thermoplastic and filament formulations, selecting resins, fillers, and additives to meet performance, processability, and cost targets.
Lead compounding and twin-screw extrusion development from lab and pilot scale through initial runs at contract manufacturers and toll processors; plan trials, define process parameters, and troubleshoot.
Characterize materials using rheology, thermal analysis, and mechanical testing, and use results to guide formulation and process decisions.
Print and test new materials to evaluate printability and performance, tracing print issues to material or process causes.
Deliver the first product by defining specifications, test methods, and acceptance criteria, and confirming that the first article meets them.
Conduct root-cause analysis and corrective action for development and early production issues, distinguishing material, process, and application causes.
Partner with the Product Manager on the launch handoff, including specifications, process windows, test data, and documentation, and incorporate customer and field feedback into material design.
Document processes, findings, and lessons learned to share knowledge across the team.