Materials Development Project Leader

Cranleigh STEM & Sustainability Recruitment; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cranleigh STEM & Sustainability Recruitment is seeking a Materials Development Project Leader in the UK. You will head international materials development programmes across high-performance product applications, from early R&D to testing, scale-up and launch.

The role requires 5+ years in industrial materials development and a background in Materials Science, Chemistry or Polymer science, with strong cross-functional and supplier management skills.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industrial materials development experience.
• Experience leading or coordinating R&D/materials development projects.
• Strong ability to work with suppliers, manufacturing partners and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead materials development projects and own timelines, milestones and technical deliverables.
• Coordinate R&D, testing, engineering, manufacturing, sourcing and supply chain teams.
• Collaborate with international materials suppliers and development partners.
• Review experimental plans and data to guide project decisions.
• Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis when needed.
• Ensure materials meet performance, cost and manufacturability targets.
• Support scale-up and production phases and travel to China roughly quarterly.

Skills

Materials development

Project leadership

R&D coordination

Cross-functional teamwork

Supplier management

Education

Materials Science / Materials Engineering / Chemistry / Polymer Science degree

Job description

We’re supporting an innovative materials technology business looking for a Materials Development Project Leader to lead the delivery of international materials development programmes across high-performance product applications.

This is a materials-led project role, suited to someone with a strong Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry or Polymer background who has developed their career within industrial R&D/materials development and is looking to take greater ownership of technical projects.

The Role

You’ll lead materials development projects from early-stage R&D through testing, scale-up, pre-production and launch, working with technical teams, suppliers and manufacturing partners across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

Projects cover a range of applications including impact protection, military and sports helmets, performance footwear, tactical equipment and protective clothing.

Responsibilities will include:

• Leading materials development projects and owning timelines, milestones and technical deliverables
• Coordinating R&D, testing, engineering, manufacturing, sourcing and supply chain teams
• Working with international materials suppliers and development partners
• Reviewing experimental plans and technical data to guide project decisions
• Supporting troubleshooting and root-cause analysis
• Ensuring materials meet performance, cost and manufacturability requirements
• Supporting projects through scale-up and production
• Travelling to China approximately once per quarter, typically for 7-10 days

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• 5+ years' industrial materials development experience
• Degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science or similar
• Experience with polymers, polyurethane, TPEs, elastomers, foams, rubbers or related materials
• Experience leading or coordinating materials/R&D development projects
• Supplier and manufacturing exposure
• Strong technical and commercial problem-solving skills
• Confidence coordinating cross-functional and international teams

You don't need to be a career Project Manager. This could be a great next step for an experienced Materials Scientist, Materials Engineer or Materials Development Engineer who has already taken ownership of projects and wants to move further into project leadership.

Working pattern:

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday onsite in South London, with flexibility to work remotely Monday and Friday.