Coatings & Product Development Scientist

MarinaTex; Motherwell; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EMI share options

Direct access to leadership

Job summary

MarinaTex develops high-performance natural polymer materials and is hiring a Coatings & Product Development Scientist to establish a new coatings capability for paper, paperboard, film, and other substrates. You will lead coatings work, drive products from lab to pilot to commercial support, and contribute to biomaterials production, working closely with the Head of NPD, the wider team, and the CEO.

Based at BioCity Scotland, accessible from Glasgow and Edinburgh; you will have autonomy in a

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience formulating or applying coatings to paper, board, or substrates.
• Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Coatings Technology, Paper Science, or related field.
• Knowledge of coating principles: rheology, dispersion, wetting, adhesion, coat weight, and drying.
• Experience with coating processes (rod, blade, roll, spray, gravure, slot-die, curtain).

Responsibilities

• Formulate and optimise natural polymer coatings for paper, paperboard, film, and other substrates.
• Run coating trials and dial in method, coat weight, and drying; solve formulation problems.
• Build barrier performance: grease/oil, moisture and water resistance, adhesion, film integrity.
• Test coated substrates against standards (Cobb, KIT, WVTR) to TAPPI/ASTM/ISO.
• Support production transfer from lab to pilot and manufacturing, including trials.

Skills

Coatings formulation

Paper coatings

Coating processes

Rheology knowledge

Autonomy in fast-moving env

Education

Bachelor's or MSc in Chemistry/Materials Science

MSc desirable

Tools

AI reporting tools

Job description

Company Description

MarinaTex is an advanced biomaterials company developing and supplying high-performance biomaterials and coatings as commercially scalable replacements for plastic. Our platform technology spans a broad range of natural, renewable biopolymers. We supply biomaterials as a product line in their own right, and convert them into functional coatings and materials that integrate into existing manufacturing and conversion infrastructure. We work across packaging, paper and board, agriculture, and other high-volume sectors, engineering plastic-free solutions that meet real performance and commercial requirements at industrial scale. Backed by strategic investors, we operate at the intersection of materials science, industrial formulation, and commercial deployment, partnering with global brands, manufacturers, and converters to bring natural materials into everyday products.

Role Description:

MarinaTex develops high-performance natural polymer materials as commercially scalable replacements for plastic. We are hiring a Coatings & Product Development Scientist to establish and lead a new capability for MarinaTex: formulating and applying functional and barrier coatings onto paper, paperboard, film, and other substrates. You will lead coatings work, drive products from lab to pilot to commercial support, and contribute to biomaterials production, working closely with the Head of NPD, the wider team, and the CEO. Based at BioCity Scotland, accessible from both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Formulate and optimise natural polymer coatings for paper, paperboard, film, and other substrates.
• Run coating trials and dial in method, coat weight, and drying; solve real formulation and process problems.
• Build barrier performance: grease and oil, moisture and water resistance, adhesion, film integrity.
• Test and benchmark coated substrates against plastic-based coatings (Cobb, KIT, WVTR, and more) to TAPPI, ASTM, and ISO.
• Support biomaterials production and technology transfer from lab to pilot and manufacturing, including converter and customer trials.

WHAT WE NEED

• Hands-on experience formulating or applying coatings to paper, board, or other substrates, in industry or applied R&D.
• A degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Coatings Technology, Paper Science, or a related field, or equivalent industrial experience. An MSc is desirable, not essential.
• A working grasp of coating principles: rheology, dispersion, wetting, adhesion, coat weight, and drying.
• Experience with one or more coating processes (rod, blade, roll, spray, gravure, slot-die, or curtain).
• Comfort across development and routine production in a fast-moving environment, with autonomy and ownership.
• Genuine motivation for the mission: replacing conventional plastics with high-performance natural alternatives.
• Comfortable using AI tools for reporting, documentation, and everyday technical work.

STRONG ADVANTAGE

• Packaging, paper and board, moulded fibre, or flexible packaging background.
• Water-based, bio-based, or natural polymer coatings, and barrier coating development.
• Scale-up experience and familiarity with contract coaters, paper mills, or converters.

WHY MARINATEX

Why a start-up over a larger materials company? Purpose, cutting-edge science, and scope. You will work at the forefront of natural polymer science, own our coatings capability from an early stage, and see your work run from lab through scale-up to commercial product, with real autonomy, direct access to leadership, and visible industrial and environmental impact. Competitive salary plus share options under our EMI scheme. Recruited at Scientist level; Senior Scientist considered for substantial directly relevant experience.