At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of sustainable superabsorbent polymers and shape innovative materials.
- Company: A&B Smart Materials, an Oxford University-backed startup revolutionising the polymer industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, 28 days holiday, and collaboration with industry leaders.
- Other info: Dynamic startup culture with significant growth opportunities and meaningful responsibilities.
- Why this job: Join a mission to replace harmful plastics and make a real environmental impact.
- Qualifications: PhD in polymer science or extensive hands-on experience in polymer research.
The predicted salary is between 59400 - 72600 £ per year.
A&B Smart Materials is an Oxford University–based materials science venture developing bio-based and/or biodegradable superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) to replace today’s fossil-based plastics. SAPs are the absorbent cores inside diapers, menstrual pads and incontinence products. In agriculture, they act as water-storage crystals that help soil retain moisture. Today’s SAPs are persistent plastics that can remain in the environment and contribute to microplastic pollution. Growing regulatory pressure, consumer demand and the scale of the microplastics crisis are making sustainable alternatives increasingly urgent.
Our goal is simple and ambitious: to replace the synthetic superabsorbents that dominate a $9B market today and are expected to reach $17B by 2035, delivering materials that achieve the essential trifecta of top performance, competitive pricing and large-scale manufacturability. We believe this is a generational opportunity to reinvent an essential material, transform a global industry and make sustainable SAPs the new standard.
You will join a small, ambitious team with the speed and ownership of a startup, the backing of outstanding investors and advisors, and the opportunity to collaborate with one of the largest chemical companies in the world.
The Opportunity
We are looking for an exceptional polymer scientist to help build the future of sustainable superabsorbent polymers. This is a hands-on role focused on the design, synthesis, formulation, characterisation, optimisation and scale-up of bio-based and/or biodegradable SAPs. You will make a visible contribution from the beginning: shaping the science, developing valuable intellectual property and helping move breakthrough materials towards industrial-scale adoption.
What You Will Do
- Conduct hands-on experimental work in polymer and SAP synthesis, formulation and characterisation.
- Design and execute rigorous experiments, analyse results and rapidly translate learning into improved materials.
- Optimise absorption, retention, permeability, gel strength, biodegradability, cost and manufacturability.
- Develop and evaluate SAP formulations for hygiene, agriculture and other applications.
- Connect material chemistry and processing conditions with end-product performance.
- Contribute to intellectual property, patents, technical documentation and partner programmes.
- Support application testing, external validation and collaboration with industrial partners.
- Help progress our technology from laboratory development through scale-up and commercialisation.
- Take ownership of important technical challenges and deliver high-quality results against ambitious objectives.
What We Are Looking For
- A PhD in polymer science, chemistry, materials or a closely related field is essential.
- Strong wet-laboratory and polymer-development skills.
- Ability to design rigorous experiments and interpret complex data.
- Genuine commercial experience.
- SAP or closely analogous polymer experience is a major advantage.
Our Culture and What We Offer
We are an ambitious, collaborative and results-oriented startup. We look for people who take ownership, move with urgency, communicate directly and maintain exceptional scientific standards. This is an environment for people who want meaningful responsibility, rapid development and the opportunity to do some of the best work of their careers.
We offer competitive remuneration and meaningful equity, 28 days of paid holiday annually, significant influence over products, intellectual property and technical strategy, access to world-class investors, advisors and industry leaders, and a role that can grow substantially as both you and the company develop.
Join Us
This is a rare opportunity to reinvent an essential material, establish a new global standard and help build a company with the potential for lasting impact. Whether you are an experienced researcher ready for greater ownership or a technical leader looking to help direct a high-growth company, we want to hear from you.
Senior / Lead Research Scientist – Sustainable Super Absorbent Polymers in Oxford employer: A&B Smart Materials
A&B Smart Materials is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of sustainable materials innovation in Oxford. With a collaborative and results-oriented startup culture, employees enjoy competitive remuneration, meaningful equity, and significant influence over product development and technical strategy. The company fosters rapid personal and professional growth, supported by world-class investors and advisors, while contributing to a mission that aims to transform a global industry and make a lasting environmental impact.
