Polymer Scientist II

About the Role

TaiSan is developing next-generation polymer electrolyte to enable Sodium Batteries 2.0 — higher energy density, safer and scalable. We are looking to recruit a Polymer Scientist II to own and advance TaiSan’s thermal polymerisation route for polymer electrolytes, from formulation/process design through validation in multiple cell formats.

In this role, you will focus exclusively on thermal polymerisation and solve key technical challenges such as uniform polymerisation, solvent/initiator selection, and compatibility across electrode systems. You will also help evolve our process flow toward scalable, automatable workflows and define the test plan needed to validate materials across pouch, cylindrical, and other formats.

Key Responsibilities

Thermal Polymerisation & Process Development

• Execute and optimize thermal polymerisation of polymer electrolyte systems (exclusive focus).
• Address core challenges including uniform polymerisation, solvent selection, initiator choice, and process control.
• Define thermal polymerisation parameters that ensure reproducibility and performance across batches.
• Evaluate compatibility of solvents/initiators and polymerisation conditions with different electrode systems and formats.

Workflow, Scale-Up & Automation

• Improve and formalize the current setup and process flow for thermal polymerisation (details to be refined after onboarding).
• Identify opportunities to enable automated or semi-automated thermal polymerisation and propose an implementation path.
• Propose equipment and lab infrastructure needs to support reliable scale-up and higher-throughput experimentation.
• Collaborate with engineers and scientists to ensure the process is practical and aligned with broader development timelines.

Testing Strategy Across Cell Formats

• Define the required test matrix for validating polymer electrolyte performance across battery formats (e.g., pouch, cylindrical, and others).
• Propose pass/fail “gates” and key metrics to compare performance between Gen systems and process variants.
• Ensure testing strategy connects polymerisation outcomes to cell-level performance requirements.

Documentation & Communication

• Generate clear experimental documentation and technical reports to support decision-making and process iteration.
• Communicate key learnings, tradeoffs, and recommendations to the wider team.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Deep hands-on expertise in thermal polymerisation and process optimization.
• Strong understanding of how salt, crosslinkers, solvents, initiators, and polymerisation conditions impact polymer network formation and electrochemical compatibility.
• Experience designing experiments, troubleshooting complex reaction/process behavior, and driving reproducible outcomes.
• Ability to define practical testing requirements and translate materials/process changes into cell-relevant validation.
• Strong safety awareness, attention to detail, and reliable documentation habits.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-moving team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with polymer electrolytes / gel electrolytes for battery applications.
• Experience working across multiple cell formats (coin, pouch, cylindrical) and understanding format-specific constraints.
• Exposure to manufacturing process development, scale-up, or automation in a lab/pilot setting.
• Comfortable in an early-stage R&D environment with high ownership and evolving technical challenges.