Contraline is a medical device company based in Charlottesville, Virginia. We are developing the first long-lasting, non-hormonal, and reversible male contraceptive. Our mission is to improve the reproductive health of patients worldwide by commercializing state-of-the-art medical products.

The Polymer Scientist or Chemical Engineer II/III participates as an R&D team member in the research and development of novel hydrogel-based products. This position will report directly to the Chief Technology Officer.

• Contribute to the development of new hydrogel products and improvements of existing products. • Evaluate properties of new and existing biomaterials in development to integrate into design feedback. • Identify critical material parameters for effective design. • Independently design and perform technology, product development, and optimization experiments. • Work with manufacturing and quality teams to support methods development, scale-up, and process improvement. • Draft R&D and Quality control protocols for material and product testing. • Ensure individual R&D targets are met. • Work closely with other members of R&D, process development, and quality assurance teams to further department and company goals. • Perform design validation/verification activities and generate reports. • Generate and ensure completeness of all product build documentation prior to manufacturing transfer. If needed, provide assembler training to support transfer. • Generate and maintain proper documentation to support product development, i.e. drawings, specifications, lab notebook entries, design verification test protocols/reports and test methods. • Develop project plans, estimate level of effort and time required to execute prospective projects. • Perform other duties and projects as requested.

• MS/PhD degree in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or related discipline. • Minimum of 2 years in product development in the life sciences industry, and/or as an R&D scientist/engineer. • Knowledge of injectables, polymers, material science, and/or polymer science. • Familiarity with design for manufacturability is desired • Ability to interact with suppliers and contractors in a professional manner • Proven experience working together on teams and meeting project deadlines • Familiarity with probability and statistics • Excellence in communication, writing, and presentations • Flexibility, persistence, resourcefulness, a drive to succeed, and an entrepreneurial spirit • Not required, but beneficial: familiarity with FDA QSR and ISO 13485 medical device regulations