Materials Scientist

We are looking for a **Materials Scientist**,someone who understands the ins and outs of polymers, especially plastics.

Someone who not only understands extrusion and polymerisation, but someone who can actually execute on it. Someone who enjoys converting useless material into useful materials.

Someone who is comfortable working in an unconventional lab that bridges deep R&D with operational R&D. Someone who wants to do more than just publish papers.

Someone who wants to grow with a start-up that’s growing, and contribute towards a cause that aims to make our world better in so many ways.

Someone willing to take risks. Someone willing to do.

**WORKING AT WITHOUT by ASHAYA**

WITHOUT by Ashaya is not just another social enterprise or non-profit or start-up. We are an amalgamation of all that and a lot more.

Our why, our values, our guiding principles and our mission are absolute pillars in our journey to make deep, meaningful impact. We have just launched a new brand and our first product, and are trying to build on that.

Right now, we are a small but passionate team, so our work culture is evolving as we speak. We don’t believe in hierarchy and are attempting to build an environment of self-management.

We believe the following traits are currently fuelling our evolution:

- Pace: We know we are moving quickly, but it still feels too slow. We want to move faster. We want to compress many years of research into one. But at the same time, we don’t want to break things along the way. Help us find our pace.
- Outcome: We are outcome-focused. By that we mean it doesn’t really matter how many hours you work, it’s what you do with those hours that matters. Work hours are flexible. Our outcomes, not as much.
- Explicit: We are super transparent. There’s no point in sweeping conflicts under a rug. We don’t have much to hide from each other and are consistently evaluating our work, our feelings and our differences. We are our biggest critics.
- Grounded: No task is too small or too big for any of us to do. At the same time, we play to our strengths, optimizing for the greater goal we are seeking to achieve, all the while keeping our minds open to diverse perspectives.

**WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR**

We are looking for someone who:

- Has a Masters or a PhD in Materials Science or Polymer Science with a focus on plastics (preferrably PP, PE, PET) with at least 3-5 years of work experience.
- Has a deep curiosity coupled with knowledge and experience around polymer and materials science (polymerisation, depolymerisation, material behaviour, reaction mechanisms).
- Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Has theoretical knowledge and industrial experience around extrusion (chemical / mechanical engineering, injection molding) and / or polymerisation.
- Is aligned with WITHOUT and Ashaya’s vision, mission, and guiding principles.
- Embodies our values of Truth, Grit, and Optimism.
- Loves to solve complex problems while embracing uncertainty.
- Is flexible at work, and open to doing even the smallest tasks.
- Is a learner, a doer, and a self-starter, looking to grow as an individual on a technical and personal level.
- Someone looking to start at the earliest.
- Be a key leader at Without and Ashaya, helping shape our next stage of growth.

You will:

- Conduct advanced research and development in polymer materials to create sustainable and innovative solutions for recycled plastics.
- Lead projects from conception to commercialization, including design, experimentation, analysis, and scaling up processes.
- Utilize analytical techniques to characterize materials properties and behaviors.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to research associates.
- Own the extrusion and compounding process of the recycled plastic waste along with the use and maintenance of a high-performance extruder.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and test new materials, ensuring they meet industry standards and company goals.
- Support the overall research and development initiatives to make Ashaya a cutting-edge organization in the waste management space.
- Work closely with the rest of the team in a fast-paced, energetic, start-up environment to optimize our organization to perform at its peak. This includes being open to doing the smallest of tasks, in addition to the more complex ones.
- Be a key leader at Without and Ashaya, helping shape our next stage of growth.

Your compensation:

- A fair, competitive market-based compensation package with upside for sales.
- Stock Options (ESOPS) in the legal entity that vests over an agreed-to tenure.
- A 3-month mutual incubation period. Both you and we will have the option to end the agreement after three months if it isn’t working out.
- We provide benefits such as health insurance, flexible work hours (including unmonitored vacation) and Provident Fund contributions.
- We believe in self-mana