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Company Description:

Prayanam Industries™ (Prayanam Industries Private Limited) is a Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India–recognized startup focused on aerospace and defense technology development. The company partners with the Indian Armed Forces and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to deliver innovative, mission-ready technological solutions. Its work directly supports India’s strategic goal of self-reliance in critical defense capabilities. Team members contribute to applied research and product development that have real-world impact on national security.

Role Description:

We are seeking a Lead Scientist to own and drive company's aerogel and advanced porous-materials research from first principles through to flight-relevant hardware. This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role: you will define the materials roadmap, run the synthesis and characterisation programme, and translate laboratory results into qualified structural and thermal-insulation materials for our aerospace platforms. You will be one of the technical anchors of the company's R&D; and will build the team and lab capability around this domain.

As an early-stage startup, we need someone comfortable operating with a high degree of independence and ownership — often as the sole materials scientist in the early phase. This includes setting up the materials laboratory from the ground up: identifying, specifying, and procuring the equipment, instrumentation, consumables, and tooling required, sourcing vendors, and getting a functional lab running. You should be as comfortable doing the bench work yourself as you are directing it, and able to make sound technical and practical decisions without waiting on established processes or a large support team.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the end-to-end development of silica, polymer, and hybrid aerogels and aerogel-fiber composites for aerospace structural and thermal-insulation applications.
- Own the full materials development cycle — formulation, sol-gel synthesis, gelation and ageing,



solvent exchange, and drying (supercritical and ambient-pressure routes) — through to repeatable, documented processes.
- Develop aerogel-fiber monocoque architectures and load-bearing structures, advancing our patented concepts toward higher technology readiness levels.
- Engineer lightweight thermal-insulation and ultralow-density structural materials, where mass, thermal stability, and durability are critical.
- Establish and run material characterisation: density and porosity (BET, mercury intrusion), microstructure (SEM), mechanical performance (compression, flexural), thermal conductivity, and environmental/ageing behaviour.
- Define material specifications, test matrices, and qualification plans aligned with aerospace and defence documentation and quality requirements.
- Lead process scale-up from bench to pilot quantities, addressing yield, reproducibility, shrinkage, and cost.
- Manage external research collaborations with academic and institutional partners, and represent the company's technical interests in joint programmes.
- Support intellectual property generation, technical proposals, and grant/tender submissions with rigorous, well-documented data.
- Build, mentor, and lead a small materials team; specify, source, and procure the laboratory equipment, instrumentation, consumables, and tooling needed to establish and operate the materials lab from the ground up.

Required Qualifications:

- PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline (an exceptional Master's-level candidate with strong, directly relevant experience may be considered).
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with aerogels, porous materials, or sol-gel chemistry,



including synthesis and characterisation.
- Track record of taking materials from concept to validated results, evidenced by publications, patents, or delivered technical programmes.
- Strong command of materials characterisation techniques and the ability to interpret data critically and design experiments rigorously.
- Demonstrated technical leadership, independent problem-solving, and the ability to drive a research agenda with limited supervision.
- Comfort working in a resource-lean startup environment — self-directed, hands-on, and able to set up a lab and procure what's needed to get the work done.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Direct experience with supercritical-fluid (CO₂) or ambient-pressure drying of aerogels.
- Experience with fiber-reinforced composites, monocoque structures, or lightweight aerospace materials.
- Familiarity with thermal-insulation materials for high-altitude, cryogenic, or stratospheric environments.
- Exposure to the Indian defence/aerospace ecosystem (DRDO, HAL, DPIIT, or equivalent) and to materials qualification practices.
- Experience setting up a laboratory and building a research team from an early stage.

What We Offer:

- A founding-stage technical leadership role with genuine ownership of a core R&D; domain.
- Direct involvement in indigenous aerospace and defence programmes with national significance.
- The opportunity to take novel materials concepts from patent through to flight hardware.
- A flat, fast-moving setting with direct access to leadership and meaningful influence over technical direction.
- Compensation commensurate with experience, with scope for performance-linked components. (ESOP/equity participation to be discussed for the right candidate.)

Pay: From ₹1,200,000.00 per year

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Sangli, Maharashtra (Sangli): Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

- Aerogel Material Development: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Apply on Kit Job: kitjob.in/job/4sgoqu

📌 Lead Scientist – Aerogel Material Development (Sangli)
🏢 Prayanam Industries Private
📍 Sangli