Senior Materials Scientist

E-Space•Saratoga, CA

31d

About The Position

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then youâve come to the right place! E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service delivery associated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems. Weâre intentional, weâre unapologetically curious and weâre 100% committed to innovate space-based communications and deliver actionable intelligence that will expand global economies, protect space and our planet and enhance our overall quality of life. Weâre looking for a pragmatic, hands on Senior Materials Scientist to own polymer selection, testing, and lifetime prediction for spacecraft and space adjacent products. You will design custom experiments and equipment (e.g., UVinvacuum and cryogenic test rigs), write test procedures, execute and analyze results, and translate findings into clear design and qualification guidance aligned with NASA expectations.

Requirements

5â10 years applied experience in polymer/materials characterization with a strong handson laboratory bias.
Demonstrated ability to design from scratch: custom fixtures, chambers, exposure setups (vacuum + UV, LNâ/cryogenic), and to write robust procedures.
Depth in polymer degradation mechanisms (photooxidation, chain scission/crosslinking, volatilization/outgassing, thermal aging) and how they map to space conditions.
Proven skill in lifetime prediction and DOE/statistics, including building models that drive design decisions.
Excellent technical writing: clear test plans, procedures, and reports suitable for design reviews and audits.
Strong safety mindset around vacuum systems, UV sources, and cryogens.
BS/MS/PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent practical experience).

Nice To Haves

Experience with atomic oxygen or radiation exposure testing (coordinating with external facilities is fine).
Knowledge of contamination control for optics/thermal systems (e.g., lowoutgassing selections, bakeouts, cleanliness levels).
Exposure to spacecraft development lifecycles, qualification/acceptance test flows, and supplier/material waivers.
Experience with adhesives for space (e.g., structural, optical, thermal interface) and film/blanket materials (e.g., polyimides, fluoropolymers).
CAD/FEA familiarity for fixture/chamber design; shop interfaces for fabrication.
Experience mentoring technicians or leading a small lab team.

Responsibilities

Own polymer characterization for space environments: UV susceptibility (including VUV), vacuum/thermal behavior, atomicoxygen and radiation awareness, contamination/outgassing, and endoflife performance.
Design test strategies & procedures: create endtoend test plans, DOEs, acceptance criteria, and data packages for materials, adhesives, coatings, films, potting/encapsulants, and composites.
Build and operate custom rigs: conceive, specify, and bring up test equipment such as UVinvacuum exposure chambers, thermal vacuum cycling fixtures, LNâbased cryogenic setups, and environmental monitoring (e.g., radiometry, RGA, QCM).
Model lifetime & degradation: develop physicsoffailure and empirical models (e.g., Arrhenius/WLF/timetemperature superposition, UV doseresponse, Weibull/statistical life) to predict performance over mission profiles (LEO/GEO/deep space).
Execute and analyze: run tests, reduce data, quantify uncertainties, and deliver concise engineering recommendations and redlines to design/manufacturing.
Author documentation: write procedures, lab work instructions, and formal test reports suitable for internal design reviews and customer/agency audits.
Crossfunctional support: advise design, thermal, optical, contamination control, and manufacturing teams on material selection and qualification plans.
Own compliance & safety: uphold lab safety for vacuum, UV, cryogens, and high voltage; ensure calibration/traceability and good measurement practice.
Vendor & lab interfacing: qualify suppliers, specify external test campaigns (e.g., AO or radiation exposure), and review external lab reports.