Development Chemist

Vateris; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vateris is seeking a highly capable Development Chemist to join the technical team in Nottingham. The role focuses on developing, optimising and scaling chemistry from laboratory development to robust industrial processes.

You will solve difficult chemistry problems, optimise reactions and work with pilot-scale equipment, using analytical data to drive process development and ensure repeatability at scale.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or closely related discipline required.
• 5+ years of industrial experience.
• Experience in startup/scale-up or industrialR&D preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead chemical process development from laboratory through pilot scale and TRL 5+.
• Design and execute experiments to optimise reaction conditions, crystallisation, product quality and yield.
• Troubleshoot chemistry and process issues with structured root‑cause analysis.
• Translate lab results into robust, repeatable, scalable industrial processes and define operating windows.
• Develop analytical methods, SOPs and QC procedures.
• Characterise materials and interpret results using FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDS, BET, TGA/DSC, GC‑MS.
• Work with chemical engineers and process teams during scale‑up.

Skills

Process development

Experimental design

Troubleshooting

Data interpretation

Scale-up

Analytical methods development

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

PhD in Chemistry or related field

Tools

FTIR

XRD

SEM/EDS

BET

TGA/DSC

GC-MS

Job description

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

Company: Vateris

The Role

We are looking for a highly capable, hands‑on Development Chemist to join our technical team and help develop, optimise and scale our chemistry from laboratory development into robust industrial processes.

This is an applied industrial role for someone who enjoys solving difficult chemistry problems, optimising reactions and processes, working directly with pilot‑scale equipment and using analytical data to drive process development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead chemical process development and optimisation from laboratory through TRL 5+ and pilot scale.
• Design and execute experiments to optimise reaction conditions, crystallisation, product quality, yield and process repeatability.
• Troubleshoot chemistry and process issues and perform structured root‑cause analysis.
• Translate laboratory results into robust, repeatable and scalable industrial processes, defining operating windows and critical process parameters.
• Develop analytical methods, specifications, SOPs and quality‑control procedures.
• Characterise materials and interpret results using techniques including FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDS, BET, TGA/DSC, calorimetry and GC‑MS.
• Work closely with chemical engineers, process engineers and the wider technical team during scale‑up.

Candidate Profile

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Strong academic background from a leading university or equivalent research institution. Candidates from universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Leeds and Sheffield, or comparably strong international institutions, are particularly relevant.
• 5+ years of relevant industrial experience following the PhD.
• Experience working within a startup, scale‑up, advanced materials or industrial R&D environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrable experience progressing technology beyond laboratory research toward TRL 5+, pilot or demonstration scale.
• Strong hands‑on analytical experience with several of the following:
• FTIR
• XRD
• SEM/EDS
• BET
• TGA/DSC
• GC‑MS
• Strong capability in experimental design, process optimisation, troubleshooting and data interpretation.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑moving environment where priorities are driven by achieving industrial scale.

What We Are Looking For

We are particularly interested in scientists who have moved beyond purely academic research and can demonstrate that they have developed and optimised chemistry into a reliable, repeatable and scalable industrial process.

The successful candidate should be equally comfortable designing an experiment, interpreting analytical data, troubleshooting a failed process and working alongside engineers to make the chemistry operate at larger scale.