Director of Polymer Technology
Location : Pune, India
Experience :
12–15 years | Minimum 5 years in senior leadership
About Zerocircle
Zerocircle is reimagining the material world. We create next-generation packaging and coatings from seaweed and other regenerative natural sources — designed for performance, affordability, and real industry adoption. Our work replaces conventional plastics with materials that are truly ocean-safe, compostable, and scalable for global impact.
We’re looking for a
Director of Polymer Technology
— a visionary technologist with the hands-on rigor of a scientist and the leadership instincts of a builder — to lead our material innovation program from lab discovery to industrial deployment.
What You’ll Do
Lead Advanced Polymer R&D :
Oversee the formulation, synthesis, and characterization of new materials derived from natural polymers, with a focus on mechanical strength, moisture resistance, and sealability.
Drive Scale-Up and Tech Transfer :
Translate lab-scale breakthroughs into scalable, commercially viable manufacturing processes. Establish process controls, documentation, and validation protocols.
Integrate Chemistry and Engineering :
Bridge bench chemistry with process engineering to ensure reproducibility, performance consistency, and manufacturability.
Guide and Mentor a High-Performing Team :
Lead a diverse team of scientists, chemists, and PhDs across material science, biopolymers, and packaging. Build an innovation culture grounded in rigor, curiosity, and shared purpose.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally :
Partner with design, sustainability, and business teams to align R&D direction with product and market goals.
Own External Collaborations :
Liaise with research institutions, technical partners, and manufacturing collaborators to accelerate development timelines.
Establish Global Standards :
Build a materials roadmap that positions Zerocircle at the forefront of bio-based technology, with clear technical benchmarks for performance, circularity, and compliance.
Who You Are
Scientist to Builder :
You began your journey in the lab — with a strong grounding in polymer chemistry, formulation, and testing — and evolved into a leader who drives engineering execution and technology transfer.
Natural Polymer Expert :
Deep experience with polysaccharides, proteins, gums, or other natural polymer systems, including modification, blending, and film / coating development.
Scale-Up Proven :
Demonstrated success in taking material innovations from concept (0) to production (1), ideally in bio-based packaging, coatings, or advanced materials.
Engineering-Fluent :
Strong understanding of pilot-scale and industrial-scale process design, including drying, extrusion, coating, and film casting technologies.
Leadership-Driven :
At least 5 years leading technical teams — with a track record of motivating scientists to achieve at the intersection of purpose and performance.
Mission-Led :
You believe material innovation can drive environmental restoration and want your work to create measurable, global impact.
Why Zerocircle
You’ll be part of a company redefining what’s possible with nature-based materials — where the lab connects directly to the ocean, and every formulation has a purpose beyond performance.
You’ll build not just materials, but the foundation of a new material economy.
Director Technology • Delhi, India