Polymer R&D Scientist – PU & UV Coatings

Element Solutions Inc; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension

Life assurance

Health cash plan

Training & development

25 days holiday

Free onsite parking

Job summary

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a business segment of Element Solutions Inc, is seeking a highly skilled R&D Scientist - Synthetic Polymer Chemist. Based at our UK Ashby site, you will design and develop advanced polymer coatings, potting compounds and thermal interface materials.

You will lead lab-scale projects from concept through scale-up, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and apply polyurethane and UV-curable chemistries to meet customer needs.

Qualifications

• PhD, MSc, or BSc in Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Proven industrial experience in synthetic polymer development and formulation.
• Strong background in polyurethane chemistry, including formulation and performance optimisation.
• Hands-on experience developing and formulating UV-curable materials, including acrylate and/or cationic systems.
• Experience in coatings, potting compounds, encapsulants, adhesives, sealants, thermal interface materials, or related polymer technologies.
• Knowledge of polymer synthesis techniques, curing mechanisms, and material characterisation methods.
• Experience taking products from laboratory development through scale-up and manufacturing.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Experience contributing to Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• IT literate and proficient in Microsoft Office applications and capable of effectively managing experimental data, technical reports and presentations.
• Knowledge of electronic materials and applications in electronics protection and thermal management, along with familiarity with regulatory requirements relating to chemical products and raw materials are desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design, synthesize, and develop novel polymer systems for advanced coatings, potting compounds, encapsulants, and thermal interface materials.
• Formulate and optimise polyurethane, UV-curable, and other thermoset polymer technologies to meet customer and application requirements.
• Lead laboratory-scale development projects from concept through to scale-up and commercialisation.
• Develop new resin chemistries and formulations to achieve target performance characteristics, including adhesion, flexibility, hardness, chemical resistance, and environmental durability.
• Conduct formulation studies, experimental design, and performance testing to understand structure-property relationships and drive product improvement.
• Investigate and resolve formulation, processing, and manufacturing challenges through scientific problem-solving and root cause analysis.
• Collaborate closely with application engineers, manufacturing teams, quality teams, and customers to develop products that meet market needs.
• Evaluate new raw materials, technologies, and suppliers to support innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support product scale-up activities, including pilot trials, process validation, and manufacturing implementation.
• Generate technical reports, test protocols, and development summaries to communicate project progress and recommendations.
• Ensure all laboratory work is conducted safely and in compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and environmental standards.
• Provide technical guidance and expertise in polymer chemistry across the business.

Skills

Polymer chemistry

Polymer synthesis

Formulation

UV-curable

Scale-up

DOE methods

Education

PhD in Polymer Chemistry

MSc in Materials Science

BSc in Chemistry

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Statistical software

Job description

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a business segment of Element Solutions Inc, is seeking a highly skilled R&D Scientist - Synthetic Polymer Chemist. Based at our UK Ashby site, you will design and develop advanced polymer coatings, potting compounds and thermal interface materials.

You will lead lab-scale projects from concept through scale-up, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and apply polyurethane and UV-curable chemistries to meet customer needs.