Senior Materials Scientist, Polymer Physics & Innovation

Location: Ventura, CA (On-site) Compensation: $135,000 - $165,000 + Equity + Benefits Visa Sponsorship: Not available for this position. Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

The Mission

Koobz is not just 3D printing shoes; we are rewriting the physics of footwear manufacturing. We are moving from heuristic "tuning" to scientifically predictable polymer kinetics.

We are seeking a Senior Materials Scientist to own the molecular "Ground Truth" of our manufacturing process. You will partner deeply with Process Engineering to bridge the gap between polymer rheology and high-velocity FDM extrusion. Your work will directly enable our transition to supply chain independence and the launch of next-generation materials.

What You Will Solve (Core Responsibilities)

• Define Polymer Kinetics & Thermal History: You will lead the "Polymer Kinetics & Thermal Mastery" initiative. This involves characterizing exactly how moisture content, heat creep, and molecular phase separation dictate print quality. You will build predictive models that tell our engineers how the material will behave before it even enters the nozzle.
• Next-Gen Material Scouting: You will lead the research and qualification of novel, elastomeric systems to develop improvements in performance, printability and sustainability.
• Process-Structure-Property Relationships: You will not work in a silo. You will sit alongside Process Engineers to co-develop the process architecture. You will analyze how toolpath manipulation and thermal history affect layer adhesion, foaming density, and surface aesthetics.
• Lab Infrastructure & IQC Standards: Commission our Integrated Quality Lab. You will establish scientific "Go/No-Go" metrics for raw material intake, ensuring no unverified material ever hits the production floor.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

You are a scientist who thinks like an engineer. You are as comfortable analyzing a DSC curve as you are tearing down a printhead to understand a clog. You understand that "commercialization" means consistency at scale, not just a successful lab experiment.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree: Ph.D. or Master’s in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Deep Technical Experience: 5+ years of industrial or advanced research experience specifically focused on polymer physics, rheology, or thermoplastic elastomers. Academic research counts if it was applied/industrial in nature.
• Characterization Mastery: Expert proficiency with thermal and mechanical analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA, Instron) and microscopy. You must be able to interpret data to solve factory-floor problems.
• Data-Driven Mindset: Experience using coding/scripting (Python, MATLAB, JMP) to analyze large datasets and model material behavior.
• US Work Authorization: Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with foaming polymers or blown thermoplastics.
• Background in filament extrusion or polymer processing.
• A track record of translating complex scientific data into actionable engineering guidelines.

Why Koobz?

• Impact: You aren't tweaking a formula for a mega-corp. You are building the material foundation for a factory that will disrupt the footwear industry.
• Autonomy: You will commission the lab, define the standards, and choose the tools.
• Culture: We are pragmatists and builders. We value "Ground Truth" over theory and output over optics.