Sr. Scientist, Synthetic Chemistry

El SEGUNDO, CA | FULL-TIME Onsite

Defense, aerospace and other high-performance applications demand new material solutions stronger, lighter, more resilient tested and delivered faster than traditionally available. Cambium is disrupting advanced materials development, from AI-driven molecular design to agile domestic manufacturing. Whether enabling hypersonic flight or protecting critical systems, our solutions push the limits of what’s possible. Cambium solves mission-critical problems in defense and industry. Our team of world-class scientists and engineers was purposely built to take on those challenges. Come join us and revolutionize advanced materials for defense, aerospace, and beyond.

Cambium is seeking a Synthetic Chemist to join our growing team in El Segundo, CA. The successful candidate will be curious with a desire to turn concepts into products, have a strong desire to help grow a company, and will help us build a work culture of open-mindedness that embraces creativity and contrarian thinking. At Cambium we’re willing to do things differently. 

 

THE ROLE 

Cambium is seeking a Synthetic Chemist to join our composite materials engineering team.  You’ll work closely with our team to synthesize new compounds for composite materials.  This will be a hands-on role and you will be involved in every step of the process – working with computational scientists to discover and synthesize new materials, providing expert guidance for operation of our on-site reactors, and optimizing materials and processes for manufacturability, cost, and most importantly, performance in extreme aerothermal environments. As Cambium experiences rapid growth, the responsibilities of this role are expected to evolve. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Design and synthesize compounds that open new opportunities in the high-temperature materials, composites, and optics space, particularly for Department of Defense applications. 

• Work with discovery teams to evaluate synthetic routes and test alternatives that facilitate scale up of both target compounds and building blocks while providing insights for selection of development candidates 

• Execute in-house process development and optimization studies to facilitate scale up and transfer to CMOs 

• Provide guidance based on your chemistry expertise to support the operation of larger chemical reactors.  

• Perform characterization and quality analysis of synthetic targets and feedstock materials (HPLC, NMR, FTIR, IPC, etc) 

• Work with colleagues to design monomers and formulations to meet specific property requirements. Understand feedback provided by thermal characterization (rheology, DSC, TGA, DMA) and composite fabrication and testing.  

• Support the manufacturing of high-temperature composite aerospace flight vehicles.  Provide input on chemical processes such as curing, cleaning, and adhesive bonding to help support manufacturing. 

• Understand structure/process/property relationships of thermoset polymer resins. Use your expertise and experience to support the creation of processing specifications for hand layup, resin transfer molding, filament winding and automatic tape placement. 

• Provide regular progress reports to senior engineers and leadership. 

• Communicate clearly and concisely key concepts, development status, performance outcomes, and lessons learned to your coworkers, investors, and collaborators. 

• Prioritize safety and OSHA, EPA, and local health and safety requirements.  

• Collaborate across multiple teams including world-class experts in biomaterials, polymer physics, composites, advanced manufacturing methods, aerospace design, and defense products. 

• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve proprietary tools and systems. 

• Create and contribute to the product demonstration and engineering teams in a manner consistent with Cambium’s mission and values and the growth of Cambium’s business. 

 

 

KEY REQUIREMENTS 

• Master’s in Polymer Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field and a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; or, 

• PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field with 4 or more years of relevant experience; or, 

• Equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Experience with and a deep understanding of thermoset polymer resins 

• You must have a strong desire to learn and be willing to work in a hands-on engineering role 

• Due to the nature of the work, you must have US citizenship 

• Some general experience with manufacturing processes for fiber-reinforced organic polymer composites is preferred, but not required 

• Ability to complete tasks on time with little supervision 

• Strong communication and collaboration skills 

 

BENEFITS 

Cambium offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits plan. This includes excellent medical/dental/vision benefits, and a matching 401(k) plan.   

Salary: 125,000 – 150,000