Graduate Chemist

Synthomer; Harlow; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global supplier of polymers is seeking driven university graduates for their Graduate Leadership Programme. This dynamic two-year journey involves fast-paced R&D rotations, mentorship, and the opportunity to contribute to real business impact. Ideal candidates will have a degree in Chemistry or related fields, with strong analytical, communication, and project management skills. Join to accelerate your career and become a future leader in a growing market.

Benefits

Competitive, market-aligned compensation

Discretionary global bonus scheme

Healthcare tailored to regional locations

Learning & development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Strong academic background and ambition to lead and innovate.
• Industry-ready experience with a solid grasp of lab safety.
• Skilled at analysing business data.

Responsibilities

• Participate in four 6-month rotations across R&D teams to gain exposure.
• Plan and execute technical work packages that drive innovation.
• Collaborate with local teams to amplify impact.

Skills

Analytical skills

Chemical handling

Project management

Communication skills

Collaborative mindset

Creativity

Education

Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, or Polymer Science

Job description

Overview

Ready to Ignite Your Career? Join Synthomer's Graduate Leadership Programme - Ignite, a dynamic two-year journey designed to shape the next generation of global leaders. Synthomer plc is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection - growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

As part of this strategic initiative, you\'ll gain cross-functional experience, benefit from structured development, and enjoy global exposure - all while contributing to real business impact. If you\'re a top university graduate with the ambition to lead, innovate, and grow, this is your opportunity to accelerate your career and become a key player in Synthomer\'s future.

What You'll Be Doing

• Accelerate your growth - through four fast-paced, 6-month rotations across key R&D teams - gain broad exposure and build deep expertise
• Fast-track your career - with mentorship, real-world challenges, and a clear trajectory toward leadership
• Champion safety and standards - own SHE behaviours and actively improve safety using our tools and systems
• Lead your own experiments - plan and execute technical work packages that drive innovation and support real-world projects
• Turn data into insight - analyse experimental, application, and business data to draw meaningful conclusions
• Grow your expertise - develop deep technical know-how in cutting-edge R&D fields
• Stay agile - apply your skills flexibly across synthesis, application, and analytical workstreams
• Build your network - collaborate with local technical, commercial, and support teams to amplify your impact
• Support strategic growth - work with Functional Solutions leadership to help execute business development strategies

• What we\'re looking for:
• A strong academic background - degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, or Polymer Science (Master\'s preferred)
• Industry-ready experience - industrial R&D placement experience with a solid grasp of lab safety and chemical handling
• Data-driven thinker - skilled at analysing experimental and business data to draw clear, actionable conclusions
• Technically curious - keen to build deep expertise in relevant fields and understand how material composition drives performance
• IP-aware innovator - familiar with confidentiality principles and the basics of patent structures
• Collaborative mindset - proactively engages with others and adapts well to changing project needs and team dynamics
• Project-savvy - able to plan, manage, and document technical progress while identifying and mitigating risks
• Strong communicator - confident in presenting ideas clearly and tailoring messages to technical and non-technical audiences
• Commercially aware - understands how R&D supports business goals and delivers customer-focused solutions
• Creative problem solver - generates practical ideas with technical feasibility and customer value in mind

Global Benefits Overview

• Competitive, market-aligned compensation
• Discretionary global bonus scheme
• Discretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) - for senior positions
• Company car or car allowance - varies by region and role
• Healthcare - tailored to regional locations
• Parental leave and family support - maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)
• Learning & development opportunities - training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offers
• Wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Program, mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives
• Retirement / pension contributions - plans vary by country
• Culture of Inclusion - where everyone can thrive
• Performance culture, global reward & recognition programmes

Synthomer Strategy Video: Michael Willome Synthomer Strategy

"At Synthomer we value the difference everyone brings to work and we are committed to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, where people are supported to make their best contribution in creating a vibrant and successful business"

Why Synthomer?

We are ambitious! We have grown significantly - both organically and inorganically. We are a FTSE 250 listed company, 22% of our revenue comes from newly commercialized products, and we\'re recognized in the top-quartile for chemicals manufacturing safety.

We believe in high challenge, high support! We are keen to let you contribute in real roles from day 1. We expect a lot, but offer a lot, too. This includes onboarding, induction and learning events, networking opportunities, mentoring and personal development planning. So, be up for an inspiring long-term career adventure.

We personalize our approach to development! At Synthomer, you won\'t find generic career tracks or development programs but rather a one-size-fits-one approach to employee development. We\'ll partner with you to ensure you have the right experiences that build your capabilities and accelerate your career growth.