Nature’s Fynd is a groundbreaking food tech and sustainable materials company born out of NASA-supported research on extremophiles in the geothermal pools of Yellowstone National Park. Our novel fermentation technology produces a sustainable source of complete protein using only a fraction of the resources required by traditional agriculture. As the challenge to feed the world’s expanding population grows, our mission is to create amazing foods and materials that provide sustainable choices and nurture the planet.
We’re looking for passionate, driven, and ambitious people to join our fast-growing team.
As a Coatings Application and Formulation Engineer/Scientist, you will be responsible for developing and optimizing sustainable coatings and textures for flexible textiles, ensuring they meet stringent performance and quality standards. You will collaborate closely with R&D teams, process engineers, and quality teams to integrate these coatings into manufacturing processes effectively. Your expertise in coatings chemistry will be essential in tailoring formulations to achieve desired properties and in troubleshooting any issues that arise during application.
This position will be based in Chicago, IL at our 2075 W 43rd St location.
Key Responsibilities:
- Formulate and develop high-performance coatings for flexible textile applications, focusing on properties such as abrasion resistance, hand feel, durability, and aging resistance
- Lead the design and implementation of texturing processes for coated products, such as embossing, to enhance product quality and surface finish
- Lead the application of coatings in both laboratory and external production settings, ensuring seamless integration into manufacturing processes. This will require at times, extensive travel up to 50% of the time
- Utilize coatings analysis tools and instruments to assess coating performance, identify failure modes, and implement corrective actions
- Analyze the effects of different additives on coating properties, adjusting formulations to meet specific product requirements
- Conduct mechanical and chemical testing of coated textiles, including assessments of flexibility, adhesion, abrasion resistance, and environmental resistance
- Collaborate with process engineers to scale up coating and texturing processes for production, ensuring consistency and efficiency
- Troubleshoot and resolve coating application and texturing issues in collaboration with production and quality teams
- Stay current with advancements in sustainable coatings chemistry and materials science, integrating new developments into ongoing projects
- Prepare technical reports and presentations detailing formulations, test results, failure analyses, and recommendations for improvements
Qualifications:
- PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, **OR** equivalent extensive experience in coating formulation and application for textiles or flexible plastic materials
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in developing and applying coatings for flexible materials, particularly textiles, leather, or similar products
- Strong expertise in coatings chemistry and the sustainable coatings and additives chemistry landscape**, including a deep understanding of how different additives influence properties like abrasion resistance, hand feel, durability, and aging
- Demonstrated experience in using coatings analysis tools, such as microscopy, spectroscopy, or other diagnostic techniques, to identify failure modes and improve formulations
- Demonstrated experience using statistical analysis methods and tools (e.g. jmp) effectively to quickly solve formulation and process challenges
- Hands-on experience with industrial-scale coating application methods such as spraying, dip coating, roll coating, extrusion coating, gravure coating, etc
- Hands-on experience with industrial scale methods of texturing materials such as roller embossing, high pressure plate embossing or calendaring
- Ability to troubleshoot and resolve coating application and texturing issues in a production environment
- Experience with mechanical and chemical testing of coatings, including flexibility, adhesion, abrasion resistance, and environmental resistance
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in scaling flexible coatings from R&D to full-scale production
- Familiarity with regulatory standards and environmental considerations related to coatings and textiles
Benefits:
- Participation in Employee Stock Ownership Program
- 100% paid employee benefits (medical, dental, vision)
- Generous Parental leave policy
- Opportunity to join a company with an aggressive growth trajectory that will revolutionize multiple industries
- Engaging and dynamic work culture full of innovation and collaboration with your fellow Fynders
Commitment To Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, And Belonging:
- Nature’s Fynd views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values
EEO Statement:
- We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law
