Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Biopolymers

Salary Range: $120,000-150,000, based on experience level

About Materia Bioworks:

Materia Bioworks develops software solutions across the materials value-chain, helping suppliers, manufacturers, and brands develop and launch products using sustainable materials faster and more efficiently, particularly in the area of reducing plastic waste. Our platform guides users from polymer and composite formulation through prototyping and scale-up to market-ready products.

You'll join a cross functional team of materials scientists and software engineers to deliver on those goals.

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced leader to join our growing team and head our customer product development initiatives, taking biopolymer based products from concept through scale-up to commercial production. In this role, you will lead the team responsible for client projects while remaining technically hands-on, bringing deep, practical knowledge of polymer processing on pilot and commercial-scale equipment, including injection molding, blown film, coatings, and other extrusion techniques. You will be a trusted technical resource and a primary point of contact for clients, embedded in scale-up and validation work and helping ensure product development engagements translate from lab to commercial production.

Working closely with company leadership, you will take ownership of a significant share of how we plan, run, and deliver client work. You will be expected to operate independently, build strong relationships, and communicate clearly with both internal teams and external clients.

Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop the team responsible for customer product initiatives, setting priorities, assigning work, and building technical capability across scientists, engineers, and technicians.
• Client Project Ownership: Own delivery of customer product development engagements from scoping through scale-up validation, serving as the senior technical contact for clients and keeping projects on track for technical goals, timelines, and budgets.
• Manufacturing Process Expertise: Serve as our in-house authority on polymer and biopolymer processing across injection molding, blown film, coatings, and other extrusion techniques, advising on process selection, troubleshooting, and optimization.
• Pilot & Commercial-Scale Execution: Plan and oversee trials on pilot and commercial equipment (ours and partners'), ensuring the process and material data collected is rigorous and supports validation and refinement of our internal predictive models.
• Scale-Up & Risk Reduction: Identify and de-risk technical challenges ahead of scale-up, and guide clients through the transition to commercial production with external manufacturers.
• Material Characterization & Testing: Oversee material characterization and end-product testing to build our understanding of biopolymer resin and blend behavior, and translate findings into process and product improvements.
• Quality & Documentation: Maintain rigorous documentation of trials, specs, and results, and ensure products meet quality standards and relevant industry regulations throughout their lifecycle.
• Cross-Functional & External Collaboration: Communicate findings clearly to internal scientists, engineers, and leadership, and coordinate effectively with external manufacturers, suppliers, and testing labs.
• Strategic Contribution: Work with company leadership on project pipeline, resourcing, and technical roadmap, taking on a growing share of leadership responsibilities as the company scales.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's degree Polymer Science, Plastics Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on industry experience in polymer or biopolymer product development and manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading and developing technical teams, including scientists, engineers, and/or technicians.
• Practical, hands-on experience across multiple manufacturing techniques such as: injection molding, blown film extrusion, coatings, and/or other extrusion processes.
• Proficiency in materials characterization and end-product testing.
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder, with demonstrated ability to work directly with clients and to collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn data into actionable process and product decisions.
• Experience managing or coordinating external manufacturing teams across multiple locations.
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and ownership, including prioritizing across multiple concurrent client projects.
• Willingness and ability to travel, and to regularly work on-site at our lab at the University of Waterloo or Lambton College in Sarnia, ON.

Nice to Have:

• Direct biopolymer or bio-based materials processing experience (PLA, PBAT, PHA/PHBH, PBS/PBSA, bio-PA, and similar) strongly preferred.
• Master's or PhD in a relevant field.
• Prior experience in a client-facing or consulting engineering role.
• Experience in a startup or fast-growing company environment.
• Experience supporting or contributing to process modeling or predictive manufacturing initiatives.

What We Offer:

• The chance to make a meaningful contribution to sustainability and climate impact through material science.
• A high-trust, high-autonomy role with direct influence over both internal R&D direction and client outcomes.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Remote-friendly flexibility, balanced with regular hands-on lab time in Sarnia and Waterloo, ON.
• Professional development opportunities and a real voice in our technology roadmap.
• Potential for equity in an early-stage startup through our employee stock options pool.

Location:

• Hybrid with regular attendance at our lab in Sarnia and Waterloo, ON