Summer `26 - Polymer Chemistry paid internship at Materials startup

Do you want to address how we recycle most of the plastic in the ocean? Do you want to measure how gloopy something is? Can you shift between careful planning and on-the-fly improvisation? Then you may be the right person to intern at Return to Vendor Co., a fashion-materials company that is looking to create infinitely recyclable clothing. We are looking folks who have graduated in the past 12 months.

Return To Vendor, Co. is seeking a sharp and technically skilled Chemistry Intern to join our Technology team for a paid full-time Spring Internship at our lab in Watertown. This job may convert to full time. The successful candidate will have a strong foundation in bench chemistry skills and an affinity for testing materials meet specs. This internship offers an inquisitive person hands-on opportunity to learn and apply green recycling principles and see those changes in lab and industrial scale pilots. This is an in-person internship open to those who have graduated from an MA Undergrad or Masters program in the past 12 months, or who live in MA and have graduated from a college in the past 12 months.

Responsibilities

• Compounding and extruding formulations:
  • Help our chemists produce and test formulations in the lab
  • A focus on testing equipment to ASTM standards (no you don't need to know what that is, just be willing to be curious)
  • Document experimental procedures, results, and analyses in a clear and organized manner.
  • Assist in testing material extrusion and a mini-version of the full circularity chain RTV will employ
• Project Support:
  • Contribute to ongoing research projects focused on advanced chemical recycling
  • Learn to design and fabricate equipment to achieve desired tests/products.
  • Assist in the development of new polymer materials or processes
• Collaboration and Communication:
  • Work effectively within a small, high-performing team.
  • Time reserved for literature review of current advances in advanced chemical recycling and sharing with the R&D team. 
  • Present findings and progress updates to team members and supervisors.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.(e.g. physics, statistics)
• A foundation in chemistry laboratory techniques.
• Familiarity with polymer synthesis and characterization methods is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Detail-oriented and organized work habits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

RTV looks to hire a team that reflects the wonderful diversity of our planet. Applicants that feel they are edge cases or from non-STEM backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.