Principal Scientist – Colloid Science

Centre for Process Innovation Limited; Sedgefield; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in innovation seeks a Principal Scientist for the Colloid Science team at the National Formulation Centre. This role involves leading projects across multiple sectors, including paints & coatings and pharmaceuticals, while supervising a small team. Ideal candidates will have a PhD and significant industry experience in Colloid Science.

Benefits

Up to 36 days holiday, including bank holidays

Life assurance and accident insurance schemes

Qualifications

• Educated to PhD level in a relevant field.
• Significant industrial experience in Colloid Science.
• Experience in paints & coatings, advanced materials, agritech, food & feed and FMCG.

Responsibilities

• Lead medium and large-scale complex projects in Colloid Science.
• Supervise the team to ensure delivery of departmental goals.
• Work closely with Business Development to secure new projects.

Skills

Technical expertise

Leadership

Complex problem-solving

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Scientific/Engineering Discipline

HNC, Foundation Degree, Degree, or equivalent

Job description

£48,000 - £64,000 per annum - dependent on experience

CPI helps make great ideas and inventions areality. We’re ateam of intelligent people using advances in science and technology to solve the biggest global challenges in healthcare and sustainability.

Through our incredible people and innovation infrastructure, we collaborate with our partners in industry, academia, government, and the investment community to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative products.

From health technologies and pharmaceuticals to sustainable food and materials innovations, we turn the entrepreneurial spirit and radical thinking of our people and partners into incredible impact that makes our world abetter place.

Why this role is important for CPI’swork

CPI has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Principal Scientist to join the established Colloid Science team within the National Formulation Centre based at NETPark in Sedgefield.

The Colloids team win and deliver abroad range of commercial and collaborative R & D projects in the area of paints & coatings, agritech, food & feed, FMCG and pharmaceuticals.

You will be responsible for providing technical expertise, capability and input contributing to the delivery of projects in the broad area of Colloid Science. You will act as atechnical lead, leading medium and large-scale complex projects ranging from initial proof of concept lasting afew months to multi-year projects/programs. You will draw upon your technical skills and experience to provide carefully thought through advice and expertise to arange of stakeholders across CPI .

You will work closely with the Business Development and Bid writing teams to secure new public and privately funded projects in the Colloid Science space. You will have the opportunity to work at the interface of academia and industry, with alarge number of projects, partners, technologies, and market sectors. This variety will give you the opportunity to work on fundamental science/R & D as well as product development and commercialisation.

While reporting to the team manager, it is also expected you will work as first line management to asmall number of colleagues (up to 5 ) within the wider team (total team members approx. 20 ), ensuring delivery of departmental goals, through delegation and providing feedback and motivation to team members. This will include working alongside the team manager in managing allocation of resource to ensure project delivery and development of theteam.

This role is ideal if you are committed to and actively seek opportunities to develop yourself, can quickly adapt to different aspects of arole and enjoy working in adynamic and collaborative environment.

Please use the below links to view some projects the team have delivered:

Key tasks in the role will include (but are not limited to the below), please download the job description for full details available on the CPI careers page :

• To supervise the team, ensuring delivery of departmental goals, through appropriate delegation and providing feedback and motivation to team members. This includes providing first line-management support, allocation of resource to ensure project delivery and short-term planning of deliverables.
• To undertake line manager activities to ensure the smooth running of the group. This will include:
• Short term (daily / weekly / monthly) planning of activities and objectives.
• Assisting the area manager in setting team and individual objectives to meet technology team and company objectives.
• Supporting the area manager with performance management activities, and leading on these where appropriate.
• Providing training and coaching to team members to enable delivery of objectives.
• Act as apoint of contact for team members’ queries and escalations.
• Conduct regular meetings and one to one sessions with team members to ensure good communication across theteam.
• To identify new technical developments and trends, translate these into building blocks for opportunities across and outside of CPI and initiate the creation of (new) technological innovations/applications.
• To build, influence and exploit anetwork of relevant (inter)national external stakeholders, customers, partners, research organisations and authorities, to represent CPI as the technical expert in networks and discuss and lobby for projects and future developments.
• To actively contribute to aculture of continuous capability development within teams, in alignment with company strategy and project deliverables. This will be achieved by coaching and developing colleagues, (both technically and behaviourally) to help them reach their potential and acting as amentor to senior colleagues across the organisation, providing astrategic perspective.
• To work collaboratively with Business Development and technical colleagues, providing support relating to proposal / project development and direct customer engagement. Seek out and engage in business development opportunities where appropriate.
• To act as acredible partner to Bid Development teams, actively involved in defining and advising on the technical elements of abid, in order to develop aprogramme ofworks.
• To set up, plan and execute experimental / pilot scale runs and analyse, interpret, and report the results of these, translating obtained findings and knowledge.

The person we are seeking

Applications are particularly welcome from candidates with experience in paints & coatings, advanced materials, agritech, food & feed and FMCG . As the team work on projects across multiple sectors, it is highly desirable that candidates have experience in two or more of theseareas.

Applications are also welcome from candidates with expertise in pharmaceuticals with aview to involvement in on-going and future projects in, for example, encapsulation of pharmaceutical actives in lipid nanoparticles.

Successful candidates will be educated to HNC , Foundation Degree, Degree, master’s degree or PhD level (or equivalent) in aScientific/Engineering discipline, plus relevant industrial experience and;

• Possess significant industrial expertise in Colloid Science as well as compelling evidence of complex technical problem-solving and leadership.
• Exhibit professional mastery of principles and practices in Colloid Science gained through career to date in area of expertise.
• Be able to demonstrate evidence of building cross industry and organisational knowledge sharing and network building.
• Can provide examples of actively building cross-organisation collaboration to achieve desired results.
• Actively demonstrate in-depth technical and theoretical knowledge of Colloid Science and can participate at ahigh level in more than one area. Is viewed as an authority in at least Colloid Science by peers and managers.
• Take responsibility for diverse or complex technical activities where it is necessary to use own initiative and judgement, implementing innovative solutions in complex situations.
• Be flexible and can adapt, simultaneously working on multiple projects and enjoys working in adynamic and collaborative environment, with effective influencing and communication skills.
• Is arecognised industry expert in Colloid Science, as well as having broader technical knowledge and capability, and ability to apply in avariety of contexts.

It is also desirable that candidates have experience with line management responsibilities, supervising asmall team and ensuring delivery of departmental goals.

What does CPI offeryou?

At CPI , we offer awide range of benefits to our employees, this includes:

• Up to 36 days holiday, including bank holidays – Plus aholiday purchasing scheme
• Life assurance and accident insurance schemes

CPI is an organisation based in the UK . Commencement of employment is conditional to demonstrating right to work in the UK , sponsorship may be available.