Sr. Scientist, Adhesives

Lyten•San Jose, CA

1d•$128,200 - $192,400•Onsite

About The Position

Lyten is seeking a Senior Scientist, Adhesives to lead the development of next-generation adhesives and thermal material formulations for high-performance industrial applications. The role focuses on building new formulations from raw materials rather than adapting existing products, and shaping a growing materials portfolio for demanding thermal management challenges. This is an applied, commercial product development role covering the full formulation lifecycle: screening and characterizing raw materials and fillers, qualifying suppliers, formulating from first principles, and validating materials through stability, mechanical, and performance testing. The scientist will work with product management to align formulation direction with customer and market requirements. Lyten seeks candidates with experience bringing materials from laboratory development into scaled manufacturing and a background working with raw materials rather than finished adhesive products. The position is hands-on and on-site. Compensation is listed as a base salary range of $128,200 to $192,400, with eligibility for a tier-based bonus and equity. Additional stated benefits include healthcare, dental, vision, corporate discounts, paid holidays, PTO and sick time, a 401(k), and an employee relocation plan if applicable. Employment is subject to export-control authorization requirements.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
At least 3 years of industry or postdoctoral formulation experience in polymer or adhesives formulation.
Strong fundamentals in polymer chemistry, rheology, and cure chemistry, including addition-cure or condensation-cure silicones or analogous thermoset or thermoplastic systems.
Hands-on laboratory experience with formulation, mixing, and characterization equipment, including a rheometer, DSC, TGA, and laser-flash or thermal-conductivity testing equipment.
Ability to independently design and interpret design of experiments (DOEs).
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and perform general laboratory physical tasks, including standing, bending, and repetitive mixing or dispensing motions, for extended periods.
Comfort working with solvents and chemical formulations while following standard PPE and fume-hood protocols.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with at least 3 years of industry experience.
Direct experience formulating thermal interface materials, such as gap fillers, pads, greases, or phase-change materials.
Experience designing and conducting reliability-testing protocols and interpreting failure data.
Track record of troubleshooting formulation or manufacturing issues through to root cause.
Familiarity with semiconductor packaging thermal requirements, including CPU/GPU/ASIC cooling and die-attach or heat-spreader interfaces.
Experience with filler systems such as boron nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, or graphite, and with dispersion and loading optimization.
Exposure to scale-up from laboratory to pilot or production.

Responsibilities

Formulate and optimize adhesives and thermal solutions, tuning filler loading, dispersion, cure chemistry, and rheology modifiers to meet thermal conductivity, mechanical compliance, and cure-profile specifications.
Characterize formulations using rheometry, DSC/TGA, thermal conductivity analysis, and mechanical testing such as compression set and hardness testing.
Design and conduct reliability tests, including thermal cycling, high-temperature/high-humidity aging, pump-out resistance, and reflow exposure, and interpret failure modes against end-use requirements.
Lead root-cause troubleshooting of formulation issues reported by customers, QA, or manufacturing, from hypothesis development through corrective formulation changes.
Develop new thermal interface material (TIM) formulations and chemistries, from initial concept through lab-scale proof of formulation.
Collaborate with process engineering to scale laboratory formulations to pilot and production batches, adapting formulations to mixing, dispensing, and cure-equipment constraints.
Partner with product management and customers to translate semiconductor thermal requirements at die, package, and system levels into formulation specifications.
Provide feedback and specifications to the materials team by translating product goals into clear material requirements.
Document formulations, test protocols, and results, and support intellectual-property capture and patent filings.
Provide regular technical updates on formulation progress, test results, and troubleshooting outcomes.
Stay current on TIM, adhesives, and thermal-management literature and the competitive landscape.