R&D Technologist

Cranleigh Scientific; Chinley; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

You will contribute to concept-to-commercialisation processes, maintain documentation, and visit customers to understand requirements while ensuring health, safety and regulatory compliance are met.

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering or related field.
• Experience in manufacturing or lab environment.
• Experience formulating polymeric materials.
• Strong problem-solving and project management skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork.
• Knowledge of AI/digital tools for product development.
• SAP and Office 365 knowledge advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Support development from concept to commercialisation.
• Develop, test and optimise polymer formulations.
• Support scale-up and new product introductions.
• Investigate and resolve technical and customer issues.
• Maintain formulation data within SAP.
• Assist cost reduction and raw material optimisation.
• Assist laboratory operations and documentation.
• Explore AI tools for innovation and data analysis.
• Visit customers to understand requirements and trials.
• Ensure Health & Safety and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Chemistry or Materials Science

Manufacturing or laboratory experience

Tools

SAP

Office 365

Job description

R&D Technologist I Permanent I On-Site I £Competitive I Derbyshire

Are you looking to develop your career in research and development within an innovative manufacturing environment? We're recruiting for an R&D Technologist to join a growing technical team, where you'll play a key role in developing new polymer compounds, improving existing formulations, and supporting products from concept through to commercialisation. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with existing commercial/industrial lab experience to apply to a new environment and business.

The Role

As an R&D Technologist, you'll work closely with production, quality, commercial teams and customers to develop high-quality, commercially viable polymer compounds. You'll be involved in formulation development, product testing, technical problem-solving, and continuous improvement projects while supporting new product introductions and customer applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Support compound development projects from concept through to commercialisation.
• Develop, test and optimise polymer formulations.
• Provide technical support during product scale-up and new product introductions.
• Investigate and resolve technical and customer-related challenges.
• Maintain accurate formulation data within SAP.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, including raw material optimisation and cost reduction.
• Assist with laboratory operations and technical documentation.
• Explore the use of digital and AI tools to support innovation, product development and data analysis.
• Visit customers to understand requirements, support product trials and build strong working relationships.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety and relevant regulatory requirements.

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll have:

• A degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience in a manufacturing or laboratory-based environment.
• Experience formulating polymeric/plastic materials.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage projects from concept through to completion.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain technical information clearly.
• A proactive approach with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
• An understanding of AI and digital tools and how they can support product development and data analysis.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365; SAP experience would be advantageous.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• The ability to build effective working relationships across teams and with customers.

Working Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Friday: 8:30am - 1:30pm