Principal Polymer Chemist

Xeltis is a commercial-stage medical device company developing restorative cardiovascular implants. Our devices are made from a proprietary supramolecular polymer that enables the body to regenerate its own vessels. With the recent CE Mark approval of our flagship product aXess™, we are preparing for European market launch. This changes the nature of our polymer work: the central questions are now about synthesis at scale, process robustness, change management, and reliable supply of a commercial product.

To lead that work, we are looking for a Principal Polymer Chemist.

The role

You own the chemistry behind our products as we scale from development batches to commercial supply. You lead a small team (3) of polymer chemists and technicians, report to our Head of Technology & Co-Founder, and act as our technical voice on polymers towards suppliers, external labs, and regulatory bodies.

Xeltis is a scale-up, so the role is broad and every day will be different. One day you are reviewing a GPC trace, the next you are at a supplier discussing yield improvement, or preparing input for a Notified Body. What stays constant is that you are the person who understands our polymer best, and who makes sure that understanding turns into robust, well-documented processes.

What you will do

• Polymer synthesis upscaling: work hands-on with our GMP synthesis suppliers to scale up production, improve yield, and secure batch-to-batch consistency.

• Process development and robustness: design protocols and studies that make our polymer processes more efficient and better understood, including risk assessment & change management under design controls.

• Analytical chemistry: design, validate, and interpret test methods (GPC, DSC, LC-MS, H-NMR, FTIR) together with internal experts and external labs. Design and supervise bench degradation and chemical characterization studies.

• Team leadership: lead a small team of polymer chemists and technicians. Set priorities, coach, and build the capability we need for the commercial phase. Provide advice on safe working with chemicals.

• External partners: manage polymer studies performed by third parties from protocol to report, and keep suppliers and labs to our quality standards.

• Regulatory support: support interactions with EU Notified Bodies and the FDA on polymer-related topics, and document your work to medical device standards.

What you bring

Must-haves:

• MSc or PhD in polymer chemistry, chemical engineering, or equivalent

• 7+ years of industry experience with polymers, including several years in process development, upscaling, or manufacturing support at a larger chemistry-oriented company

• Proven experience with polymer synthesis upscaling and process robustness improvement in a regulated or quality-controlled environment (GMP, ISO 13485, or comparable)

• Hands-on experience with analytical chemistry and polymer-related test method validation

• Strong communication skills: you can explain complex chemistry to internal teams, suppliers, auditors, and regulators, in fluent English

• First leadership experience, or the maturity and ambition to lead a small expert team

Nice-to-haves:

• Medical device or pharma background, with exposure to design controls, verification & validation, and risk management

• Experience with degradable or supramolecular polymers

• Experience managing CMOs, CROs, or external development partners

• Experience with project management tools, like six-sigma.

Who you are

• You take ownership, drive for results, and stay determined when scale-up work gets difficult

• Curious and critical towards each and every result

• You document clearly and understand why that matters in our industry

• Most importantly: you are driven by our purpose and crazy about polymers

What we offer

• The chance to join at a rare moment: the transition from clinical to commercial stage, where your work directly enables market supply

• Real ownership and visibility, reporting to a co-founder

• A passionate, ambitious, international team with a sense of humour

• A competitive package including a bonus arrangement tied to company objectives

• Autonomy and plenty of room for personal and professional growth

Interested?

We're at the moment where the science has to become reliable supply, and we're looking for the person who owns the chemistry that makes that possible.

If you've scaled a polymer process and made it hold, we'd like to talk. Apply with your CV; instead of a cover letter, just tell us in a few lines about one upscaling or robustness problem you've owned and what changed because of you.