Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Formulation Chemist

Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science or related field; equivalent experience may suffice.
  • Ability to create, fabricate, and analyze formulations for specific applications.
  • Proven track record in training, mentoring, and team building.
  • Active or eligible for a Secret security clearance.
  • Exceptional oral and written communication skills for diverse audiences.
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

  • Lead hands-on experimental research in material formulations development.
  • Develop and execute strategic roadmaps aligning research with national security aims.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for AI-enabled rapid material discovery initiatives.
  • Propose new R&D opportunities with government, academia, and industry.
  • Manage projects, including timelines and budgets, to achieve organizational goals.
  • Mentor and foster interdisciplinary team collaboration to drive innovation.
  • Publish technical reports and proposals discussing research methods and findings.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
  • MIT-funded pension
  • Matching 401K
  • Paid leave for vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
  • Access to mentorship programs
  • Flexible work-life balance options
  • Various voluntary benefits, discounts, and perks.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Advanced Materials and Microsystems Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory seeks a technical staff to spearhead and grow the enterprise focused on organic/inorganic formulations for coatings, 3-D direct ink write printing, and microelectronics advanced packaging applications for critical national security applications. Related efforts include organic synthesis of new monomers, polymers, surfactants, binders and transition of those materials from exploratory research to repeatable lab-scale production. Additional responsibilities will include the development of experimental methods as part of the AI-enabled rapid materials discovery team. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen and strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills. Occasional travel is required to meet with sponsors and participate in professional conferences.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and conduct hands-on experimental research in formulations development, materials synthesis, processing, and characterization
  • Strong background in experimental characterization methods, such as spectroscopy and mass spectrometry
  • Help develop and execute a strategic roadmap for the materials enterprise, aligning experimental research with national security priorities
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for the formulation and processing thrust of the AI-enabled rapid material discovery program
  • Define and propose new research and development opportunities with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry
  • Manage project timelines, budgets, and reporting to meet organizational and sponsor objectives
  • Lead, mentor, and participate in multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and collaboration
  • Write and publish technical reports, manuscripts, and proposals detailing research methods, findings, and strategic implications.


Required Qualifications

  • PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science or related field. Equivalent experience will be considered.
  • Demonstrated ability to create, fabricate, and analyze formulations for specific applications and use cases
  • Demonstrated ability to train, mentor, and build teams
  • Active or eligible to obtain a Secret security clearance
  • Excellent oral and written communications skills, including ability to communicate experimental results to experts and non-experts, government sponsors, and internal stakeholders
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills


Desired Skills

  • Demonstrated ability to formulate complex coatings and engineer their composition-property relationships
  • Understanding of colloid science, rheology, adhesion, and surface modifiers in a broad set of coating and substrate systems
  • Expertise in synthesis of new monomers, polymers, surfactants, binders and transition of those materials from exploratory research to repeatable lab-scale production
  • Expertise in 3-D direct ink write printing formulation across a broad set of materials
  • Development of new materials for microelectronics advanced packaging applications
  • Understanding of effect of radiation on materials with applications to radiation shielding of microelectronics
  • Familiarity with computational materials science with linkage to experimental methods
  • Experience in successfully guiding and leading interdisciplinary technical programs
  • Experience defining and executing technology roadmaps
  • Six or more years of post-graduate experience as an experimental materials researcher

Expertise outside the named disciplines will be considered for exceptional candidates

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $145,200-$170,000
Experienced Hiring Range: $145,200-$220,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including-but not limited to-the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
  • MIT-funded pension
  • Matching 401K
  • Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
  • Mentorship programs
  • A range of work-life balance options
  • ... and much more!

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

Requisition ID: 43167

About Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university is known for its strong emphasis on scientific and technological research and its engineering programs. MIT was founded in 1861 and has a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship. The university has produced numerous Nobel laureates, Rhodes Scholars, and MacArthur Fellows.
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