R&D Polymer Scientist
Reckitt · Shanghai
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- R&D Polymer Scientist
- City: Shanghai
- We are Reckitt
- Home to the world's best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose defines why we exist: to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose. Join us in our fight to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right and not a privilege.
- About Shanghai Science and Innovation Centre
Our Shanghai Science & Innovation Centre—Reckitt’s largest R&D site in Asia, develops locally inspired health and hygiene innovations tailored for Chinese consumers, with potential to set new global standards.
Operating as an open platform, the Centre partners with local institutions to accelerate innovation and support China’s “Healthy China 2030” vision.
As one of nine global Reckitt innovation hubs, it connects top Chinese talent with our worldwide network, turning cutting-edge research into products that protect and nurture millions of households.
Join us in advancing our purpose of a cleaner, healthier world.
About the role
You will play an important role at Reckitt because as an R&D Scientist, you will drive the development of innovative polymer and material technologies that enhance product performance and create competitive advantages for Reckitt's IW product. Working within a multidisciplinary R&D team, you will design, synthesize, characterize, and optimize polymer-based materials and formulations to meet consumer requirements.
You will apply scientific expertise to investigate polymer structure-property relationships, solve technical challenges, and translate research findings into scalable product solutions. The role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams to accelerate innovation and deliver commercially successful technologies.
Success will be measured through the delivery of robust technical solutions, successful innovation projects, intellectual property generation, and the commercialization of consumer-relevant solutions.
Your responsibilities
Working within the R&D Innovation team, you will contribute to the development of next-generation materials and technologies that support Reckitt's Sexual Wellness innovation pipeline. The vision of this role is to accelerate material innovation through scientific excellence, effective experimentation, and seamless translation from laboratory development to pilot and manufacturing validation.
You will be responsible for:
- Support the Senior Scientist in the design, development, and evaluation of novel polymer materials and formulations for innovative product applications.
- Plan and execute laboratory experiments independently including synthesis experiment and dipping experiment, generating high-quality data and technical insights to support the fast-paced development and delivery of innovation projects.
- Support the scale-up of laboratory formulations and processes to pilot and commercial factories.
- Develop a strong understanding of structure-property-performance relationships and apply scientific principles to solve material and process challenges.
- Contribute to the identification, assessment, and implementation of new materials, technologies, and external innovation opportunities.
- Build expertise in polymer science, processing technologies, and dipping operations to strengthen Reckitt's innovation capability.
- Support the effective management and operation of the laboratory to ensure a safe, compliant, and productive working environment.
- The experience we're looking for
- Ph.D. degree from a reputable university in Polymer Science, Chemistry, Materials Science or related disciplines; alternatively, a master’s degree with exceptional research capabilities and relevant industry experience. Candidates with a master’s degree should have at least 3 years of R&D experience in the polymer materials industry, with a proven track record in material innovation, formulation development, and/or product commercialization.
- Hands-on experience in waterborne polyurethane (WPU) research and development is highly preferred.
- Strong publication record in high-impact scientific journals and/or demonstrated achievements in patent generation are preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, analyze complex data, and derive actionable conclusions.
- Solid understanding of polymer chemistry, structure-property relationships, material characterization, and formulation development.
- Strong scientific curiosity and passion for exploring new materials, technologies, and scientific challenges. Sharp scientific insight, rigorous analytical thinking, and excellent problem-solving capabilities.
- Strong teamwork spirit and ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams. Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly convey technical concepts to diverse audiences. Proficient English communication skills, including technical writing, presentation, and scientific discussion.
- Self-motivated, diligent, reliable, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering high-quality work with integrity and accountability.
- What we offer
- With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt's potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short-term incentives to recognise,