Chemical Process Engineer

Theo James Recruitment; Newton Aycliffe; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish Fridays

Training and development

Innovative projects

Collaborative culture

Career progression

Job summary

Theo James Recruitment is seeking a Chemical Process Engineer for a leading manufacturing business near Bishop Auckland. You will develop, improve and commercialise innovative products and processes, leading R&D activities and laboratory trials while collaborating with Manufacturing, Operations and Commercial teams.

The role focuses on product formulation, process optimisation, NPI support, and documentation, with emphasis on hands-on technical work and cross-functional project management in a

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science or related field.
• Experience in product and/or process development within manufacturing.
• Knowledge of formulation, materials science and product performance testing.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) projects.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Project management experience across multiple development projects.
• Experience preparing technical reports and product documentation.
• Strong communication across technical and operational teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development and process improvement projects.
• Design and run laboratory experiments and testing programmes.
• Develop prototypes and analyse product performance data.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and manufacturing scale-up.
• Investigate production issues using root cause analysis.
• Develop and improve manufacturing processes, systems and SOPs.
• Monitor quality and process performance, identify improvements.
• Prepare technical reports and development documentation.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety and environmental standards.

Skills

Problem solving

Project management

Communication

Data analysis

Technical writing

Cross-functional

Education

Chemistry/Engineering degree

Job description

Job Title: Chemical Process Engineer

Salary: £40,000

Location: Bishop Auckland

Benefits:

• Early finish every Friday.
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Opportunity to work on innovative product development projects.
• Collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Long-term career progression within a growing manufacturing business.

The Company:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Chemical Process Engineer to join an innovative and well-established manufacturing business at the forefront of developing advanced materials and specialist surface technologies. Working across R&D, manufacturing and commercial teams, this business invests heavily in innovation, continuous improvement and employee development, offering genuine opportunities to influence new product development from concept through to commercial production.

If you're looking for a Chemical Process Engineer role where you'll make a real impact on product innovation and manufacturing excellence, this is an excellent opportunity to develop your career within a forward-thinking organisation.

Job Description:

As a Chemical Process Engineer, you'll play a key role in developing, improving and commercialising innovative products and manufacturing processes. You'll lead research and development activities, design laboratory trials, analyse technical data and help bring new products successfully into production.

The Chemical Process Engineer will work closely with Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales and Technical teams to improve product performance, optimise manufacturing processes and introduce new materials and technologies.

This Chemical Process Engineer position will involve:

• Leading product development and process improvement projects.
• Designing and carrying out laboratory experiments and testing programmes.
• Developing prototypes and analysing product performance data.
• Supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and manufacturing scale-up.
• Investigating production issues using structured problem-solving and root cause analysis.
• Developing and improving manufacturing processes, systems and SOPs.
• Monitoring quality and process performance, identifying continuous improvement opportunities.
• Supporting the introduction and qualification of new raw materials and manufacturing technologies.
• Producing technical reports, specifications and development documentation.
• Ensuring compliance with quality, safety and environmental standards.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Chemical Process Engineer looking to combine hands-on technical work with project management and cross-functional collaboration in a highly innovative manufacturing environment. The role focuses on product formulation, process optimisation, testing and commercialisation within a structured development environment.

Skills & Experience:

To be successful as a Chemical Process Engineer, you'll ideally have:

• Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science or a related discipline.
• Experience in product and/or process development within manufacturing.
• Knowledge of formulation, materials science and product performance testing.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) projects.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Project management experience with the ability to manage multiple development projects.
• Experience preparing technical reports and product documentation.
• Strong communication skills with experience working across technical and operational teams.

Desirable:

• Experience with coatings, laminates, polymers, decorative surfaces or digital printing.
• Knowledge of UV-curable coatings and curing technologies.
• Understanding of Design of Experiments (DoE), statistical analysis and material qualification.
• Experience with roller coating processes and recognised material performance testing standards