Research Scientist 2 - Materials Science

SRG; Sedgefield; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

CPI is seeking a Research Scientist 2 in Materials Science to join their team in Sedgefield. This full-time, permanent role focuses on delivering customer-funded and collaborative research projects across diverse technologies and applications.

You will contribute to development, testing and characterisation of innovative materials while collaborating with scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines. A strong materials science background and hands-on lab experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering or related scientific discipline.
• Experience in industrial, commercial or applied research environment.
• Strong understanding of materials science principles and material behaviour.
• Experience designing, conducting and reporting experimental work.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and technical reporting abilities.

Responsibilities

• Plan and carry out laboratory-based materials science experiments.
• Support the delivery of customer and collaborative R&D projects across multiple application areas.
• Characterise and evaluate materials using various analytical and testing techniques.
• Conduct data analysis and interpret experimental results.
• Produce high-quality technical reports and project documentation.
• Present project findings to colleagues, project teams and customers.
• Support development and optimisation of novel materials and formulations.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and ensure quality standards.

Skills

Materials science expertise

Analytical skills

Experiment design

Communication

Team collaboration

Hands-on lab experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science or related

Job description

Research Scientist 2 - Materials Science

Job Type

Permanent

Location

Job Ref

BBBH189178_1792072456

Date Added

October 15th, 2026

Consultant

Research Scientist 2 - Materials Science
Salary: £33,727 - £43,727 per annum (dependent on experience)
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Sedgefield
About the Role

CPI is looking for a Research Scientist to join their Materials Science team, supporting the delivery of customer-funded and collaborative research projects across a diverse range of technologies and applications. This position is a replacement hire within an established team and offers the opportunity to work on real-world industrial challenges across multiple sectors.

The role would suit someone with a strong materials science background, practical laboratory experience, and the ability to work across multiple projects simultaneously. You'll contribute to the development, testing and characterisation of innovative materials while working alongside scientists and engineers from a range of technical disciplines.

While we welcome applicants from a broad range of materials backgrounds, experience in materials characterisation and mechanical testing or experience in materials development or optimisation, would be particularly valuable. You'll be given the opportunity to apply your technical knowledge across sustainable materials, functional materials and coatings projects, helping to deliver solutions for customers from concept through to application.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Planning and carrying out laboratory-based materials science experiments.
• Supporting the delivery of customer and collaborative R&D projects across a range of application areas.
• Characterising and evaluating materials using a variety of analytical and testing techniques.
• Conducting data analysis and interpreting experimental results.
• Producing high-quality technical reports and project documentation.
• Presenting project findings to colleagues, project teams and customers.
• Supporting the development and optimisation of novel materials and formulations.
• Maintaining accurate experimental records and ensuring work is completed to the required quality standards.
• Contributing to safety reviews, risk assessments and good laboratory practice.
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to solve technical challenges and deliver successful project outcomes.

About You
We're looking for someone who combines strong scientific fundamentals with a practical, hands-on approach to research and development.
You will likely have:

• A degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience gained in an industrial, commercial or applied research environment.
• A strong understanding of materials science principles and material behaviour.
• Experience designing, conducting and reporting experimental work.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and technical reporting abilities.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and contribute effectively within project teams.
• A collaborative approach and enthusiasm for learning new technologies and techniques.

Particularly Relevant Experience
Experience in one or more of the following areas would be advantageous:

• Mechanical testing of materials
• Thermal analysis
• Rheology
• Crystallography
• Spectroscopic analysis (including FTIR and Raman)
• Measurement of thermal properties
• Functional materials
• Coatings and coating technologies
• Materials development and optimisation

Why Join CPI?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly versatile Materials Science team working on a broad portfolio of industrial projects. You'll gain exposure to a range of technologies, sectors and customers while developing your technical expertise in a collaborative and fast-paced research environment.
If you're an adaptable scientist who enjoys laboratory-based research, materials characterisation and solving practical technical challenges, we'd love to hear from you.