Job Description

Epoch Biodesign

Epoch Biodesign is a well-funded, venture-backed start-up using biology to make every type of plastic recyclable - starting with Nylon.

Using a unique combination of AI, synthetic biology and green chemistry, we are scaling enzymatic recycling processes that transform unrecyclable plastics into new, virgin-quality materials. These processes yield substantial reductions in carbon emissions and prevent waste from entering landfill or the environment. They also generate disruptive unit economics, allowing us to scale our solutions quickly to solve this urgent challenge.

With our pilot plant already processing Nylon 6,6 waste at the multi-tonne level, we will imminently complete construction on our larger demo facility. This will produce material that will be used in garments for some of the world’s biggest brands, and also in components for some of the world’s largest car companies.

The Role

We're looking for an experienced and commercially minded Fiber and Polymer Lead to join our technology team. We work in relatively small teams, so there is an opportunity to make a real difference. We’re a positive, driven team who enjoys what we do and is not afraid to roll up our sleeves when it counts, and we're all passionate about sustainability and the environment.

Reporting to the CTO, with a dotted line to the Chief Commercial Officer, you will be Epoch’s technical authority on polymer and fiber performance. You will own our polymer specifications, define how monomer quality translates into downstream performance, and act as the key technical interface between our technology, manufacturing and commercial teams and our customers.

This is an exciting opportunity to prove that Epoch’s recycled nylon performs as well as incumbent supply in real-world spinning and processing, to help customers qualify and switch to Epoch material, and to shape our product portfolio and strategic technical partnerships.

As Fiber and Polymer Lead at Epoch you will:

• Own polymer specifications across textile, industrial yarn and engineering applications.
• Develop insight into how monomer purity variations affect polymer properties, spinning performance and final product quality, and translate that understanding into monomer product specifications and limits.
• Define qualification protocols for new polymer grades and material changes, investigate performance deviations, and identify the analytical capabilities Epoch needs to build or access.
• Work directly with yarn spinners using polymer chips from our Blanes site to demonstrate and prove performance under real-world processing conditions.
• Lead root-cause diagnosis and quality management across the full value chain, including monomer production, process chemistry, polymerisation, chip quality, drying, spinning conditions and downstream processing.
• Lead sample trials and customer qualification programmes from technical scope through to sign-off.
• Support the commercial team in technical discussions with brands, spinners, compounders and automotive customers.
• Help prospective customers switch suppliers by addressing the technical barriers to qualifying and adopting Epoch material.
• Act as the technical escalation point for customer complaints, identifying root cause and defining corrective actions.
• Shape product portfolio strategy with the commercial team, prioritising grades based on margin, customer demand, technical differentiation and compatibility with Epoch’s recycled monomers.
• Co-develop and lead technical programmes with strategic accounts, compounders, brands and potentially automotive Tier 1 suppliers.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Degree in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Textile Engineering, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering with a minimum of 10 years of relevant industry experience. Candidates with Master and PhD degrees and similar relevant industrial experience will be viewed favourably.
• Extensive industrial experience in polyamide (nylon 6,6 and/or nylon 6) polymer and fiber with a polymer producer, fiber producer or major downstream user.
• Deep understanding of the relationships between monomer quality, polymerisation, chip properties and melt-spinning performance.
• Proven track record of leading customer qualification programmes and resolving field performance and quality issues across the value chain.
• Hands-on experience with polymer and fiber characterisation, and with defining product specifications and qualification protocols.
• Experience across textile, industrial yarn and engineering plastics or compounding applications; automotive experience is a plus.
• An established network across spinners, compounders, brands and polymer producers is a plus.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the credibility to support technical selling and supplier-switch decisions with customers.
• Effective communicator able to elicit cooperation from, and influence, a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders and collaborators.
• Willingness to travel regularly to our Blanes site in Spain and to customer and partner sites.

Benefits and perks

Epoch Biodesign offers a comprehensive benefits program. At the moment this includes:

• A generous allowance of 30 days paid holiday (plus the usual 8 bank holidays)
• Meaningful EMI Share Options
• A non-contributory pension of 9% employer contribution
• Optional company covered private medical insurance with Vitality
• Group Income Protection
• Group Critical Illness
• Flexible working around the core times of 10am to 4pm
• Cycle to work scheme
• The opportunity to be part of building something remarkable

On-the-job perks

• Complementary fresh fruit, coffee, tea and snacks
• Onsite gym
• Various staff social activities

And we’re continuously reviewing and enhancing our benefits and work environment.