Chemistry Lead Scientist

Eurofins; Linlithgow; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Pension Plan

Life Assurance Scheme

Healthcare Cash Plan

Job summary

Eurofins seeks a capable Laboratory Lead for food chemistry operations. You will coordinate resources for daily chemistry tasks, provide technical advice, and support clients with accurate data and interpretations.

Leading method development, training, and continuous improvement, you will collaborate across the business and ensure timely delivery of high-quality results within a fixed-term contract ending 31 October 2027.

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry/Food Chemistry/Science or equivalent chemistry laboratory experience.
• Experience in ISO17025/UKAS accredited labs.
• Proficiency in chromatography, wet chemistry and immunoassay techniques.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical authority for food chemistry methods and data interpretation.
• Provide scientific leadership and guidance to laboratory staff.
• Troubleshoot analytical and instrumentation issues and optimise methods.

Skills

Analytical interpretation

Quality systems

Communication skills

Team leadership

Project management

Education

Chemistry degree

Tools

Laboratory information systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

This purpose of this role will be to be responsible for coordinating resource for daily food chemistry operations and specific projects. You will provide technical and quality advice and expertise to the relevant operations teams, internal group functions and to the clients.

This is a fixed term contract ending 31/10/2027. Working 40 hours per week - Monday to Friday 08:30 - 17:00.

• Act as the technical authority for food chemistry methods and analytical interpretation.
• Provide scientific leadership and guidance to laboratory staff.
• Support complex troubleshooting of analytical and instrumentation issues.
• Support optimisation and troubleshooting of analytical instrumentation.
• Deliver technical training and competency assessments.
• Support development of the laboratory skills matrix.
• Lead method development and improvement activities.
• Assess emerging technologies and analytical approaches.
• Support transfer of methods between Eurofins laboratories.
• Support the Business Unit Manager in technical strategy and future capability planning.
• Identify opportunities for new services, efficiencies and technological improvements.
• Participate in audits, accreditation activities and customer technical visits.
• Monitor, evaluate and review the scientific performance of routine assays. Provides client services or internal stakeholders with progress reports as needed.
• Assure on-time delivery of high-quality data.
• Ensure that the Quality procedures and documents, including laboratory methods, are maintained up to date, reflect current practice and group objectives. Implement the amendment and re-issuing of all documentation as necessary.
• Provides input on team performance and discusses method or project issues with the Business Unit Manager and suggests solutions and actions.
• Lead performance efficiencies and assist in a technical capacity to deliver continuous improvement in production, customer service, technical, quality and health and safety.
• Analyse data including application of appropriate statistical analysis. Write protocols and reports as required. Write and review other technical documentation such as SOPs and analytical methods.
• Liaise with clients and provide technical support as required.
• Work with colleagues across the Eurofins group to share best practices and implement as appropriate.
• Participate in root cause analysis activities (e.g., 5 Whys / Fishbone), supporting effective corrective and preventative actions.
• Responsible for raising and completing non-conforming work/improvement action reports for their scope.
• Work with laboratory staff to implement specific internal or client procedures, investigations, or validations.
• Keep methods, method summaries, and method references current and accurate.
• Assure that results reported are approved and in compliance with appropriate SOPs.
• Support method validation work, ensuring required testing, documentation, and evidence is generated in line with quality standards and accreditation expectations.
• Uphold client confidence in accuracy and response times of testing.
• Conducts all activities in a safe and efficient manner and complies with all aspects of Eurofins H&S policy.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry/Food Chemistry/Science with a significant element of Chemistry experience. Or equivalent chemistry laboratory experience.
• Significant experience within an ISO17025 / UKAS accredited laboratory environment.
• Experiences in analytical techniques and requirements following controlled procedures, maintaining records, and working to agreed turnaround times and priorities.
• Experience and knowledge in chromatography techniques, wet chemistry and immunoassay techniques.
• Ideally have knowledge of GC, HPLC, IC or other relevant analytical techniques.
• Strong IT proficiency including the ability to use laboratory systems and Microsoft Office effectively.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with confidence liaising with operational teams and escalating issues where required.
• Able to work alone and alongside a team. Keen to learn and develop.
• Ability to prioritise workload effectively and remain organised in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to work effectively to agreed deadlines. Be technical and quality minded, attention to detail.

Additional information

At Eurofins we are growing, innovating and always learning. We celebrate the achievements of our employees through annual long service awards, recognise our colleagues special life events, and we are committed to charitable causes through global fundraising activities.

As a Eurofins employee you will benefit from:

• Additional Annual Leave at Employees set service dates
• Company Pension Plan
• Life Assurance Scheme (4 times annual salary)
• Healthcare Cash Plan (6+ months service)
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity Schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24/7 confidential
• Health and Wellbeing Programmes
• Free parking
• Worldwide career opportunities
• We also have in place rewards recognising the great work our employees deliver, their dedicated service and celebrating special life events.

What Happens Next

Our people are the backbone of what we do, so it's incredibly important we find the right individuals to join us. As a potential new recruit you'll be invited to meet the team in the form of an assessment centre or a staged interview process dependent on the role and it's requirements, this will give you the opportunity to see what working for Eurofins is really like and enable us to get you know your key skills and strengths.

As part of any recruitment process, the company collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. The company is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations.

Closing Date

Due to the high volume of applications we receive please be aware that if you do not receive a response within 4 weeks of the vacancy expiry date unfortunately, on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

We embrace diversity!

Eurofins network of companies believe in strength and innovation through diversity, being an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination against employees or applications based on gender identity and/or expression, race, nationality, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and everything else that makes employees of Eurofins companies unique.