Junior Research Scientist - Raleigh, United States - Stellar Consulting Solutions, LLC
Description
Role: Research Scientist
Location: Research Triangle Park, NC (Onsite)
Contract (W2 only)
Seeks a research scientist to work as a member of an R&D team that is involved in identifying, developing, and testing new technologies for a range of medical devices, including surgical and interventional devices. Specifically, the team is focused on the chemical and materials aspects of these devices. Under the supervision of an R&D Manager, the candidate will help with the development of new chemical formulations and/or biomaterials (hydrogels, coatings, resorbable polymers, viscoelastic materials etc.), and test methods for characterizing them. Specifically, the candidate is expected to design and execute experiments aimed at developing formulations that enable controlled release of drugs/proteins and/or improve adhesion to tissues and furthering our understanding of the drug-material-tissue interactions impacting the performance of medical devices. Additional duties involve characterization of formulations using analytical instrumentation and assessment of functional performance both in-vitro and in-vivo.
Additional responsibilities include investigating and resolving technical problems and managing different workstreams to meet program objectives and timelines. The incumbent is expected to work closely with other R&D project team members and support functions, contribute to the development of intellectual property, create experimental designs/test methods, and analyze experimental data. They will work with project team leadership to help ensure a smooth transition of projects from the Innovation phase to product development.
The successful candidate must have experience working in a chemicals/materials/biomedical/textiles lab, be familiar with basic synthetic (polymers or small molecules) chemistry techniques, and have hands-on experience using analytical instruments (UPLC, spectroscopic methods). Additional experience with test method development using medical prototypes, working knowledge of biomedical polymeric materials and their characterization methods (rheology, Instron, etc.), and preclinical testing in animals is also valuable.
The candidate should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to proactively identify and resolve experimental challenges, and a strong desire to gain experience in developing medical technologies. The candidate should be able to plan and conduct scientific experiments, and effectively analyze, interpret, and present experimental results while collaborating with team members from a variety of backgrounds. The candidate should also be able to adapt to changing requirements that can arise in a dynamic work environment and will be expected to contribute intellectually to areas not directly related to his or her field.
Requirements
• Extensive research experience working with various chemicals/materials/polymers
• Experience designing and characterizing formulations (micro/nano particles, gels, emulsions, biomedical polyesters, other viscoelastic systems etc.). Experience developing controlled drug delivery or tissue adhesive formulations is a plus
• Hands-on experience with commonly used analytical instrumentation equipment's (UPLC, spectroscopic methods)
• Ability to design, execute, and appropriately document experiments
• Good written and verbal technical communication skills
• Ability to effectively interpret and present scientific results
Desired skills
• Experience developing drug delivery formulations and biomedical coatings
• Experience in basic synthetic chemistry (small molecules or polymer synthesis)
• Knowledge of materials characterization tools (such as rheometer, Instron, spectroscopic methods, DSC, GPC, etc.) and interpreting resultant data
• Experience with in-vivo testing of biomedical devices or prototypes
• Willingness to work occasionally with biological specimens (e.g. animal tissues) for lab scale testing
Education:
Graduate degree (Ph.D. preferred) or equivalent work experience in the fields of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Textile engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or related scientific discipline. Prior work experience in a medical device R&D organization is a plus.