Scientist II

RSSL; Reading; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance Bonus

Pension (8-11% employer contribution)

Life Insurance

EAP (Employee Assistance Programme)

Flexible benefits (gym discounts, etc)

Private health insurance

Restaurant discounts

Job summary

RSSL, Reading Scientific Services Ltd, is seeking a Scientist II to lead technical projects within the Food Sciences laboratory. You will oversee project delivery, supervise staff, review data and ensure quality, safety and regulatory compliance across diverse food and healthcare projects.

You will manage client communications, contribute to method development and validation, and support cross-site activities while maintaining strict data integrity and timelines.

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline or equivalent relevant experience.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deliver results to quality standards.
• Experience mentoring or supervising people and reviewing data.
• Strong communication and planning skills; able to work in a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality customer service and organise assigned workload while ensuring data integrity.
• Manage internal/external projects to agreed timescales and budgets.
• Act as primary contact for clients; host review meetings and prepare high quality project reports.
• Perform data review and interpret results; generate certificate of analysis.
• Cross train and support colleagues across laboratories as needed.
• Mentor and develop junior staff in routine activities and methods.
• Assist with generation of client proposals for method development, transfers, stability studies and validations.

Skills

Project management

People management

Data interpretation

Laboratory supervision

Communication

Mentoring

Organisational skills

Education

Degree or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job Description

Are You Ready to Make an Impact at RSSL?

Join Our Mission to Transform Lives Through Science, Innovation and Collaboration

At Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL), we lead the way in scientific analysis, research, consultancy, and training. We provide services to the food, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries, as well as our parent company, Mondelez International.

At Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL), we lead the way in scientific analysis, research, consultancy, and training. We provide services to the food, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries, as well as our parent company, Mondelez International.

We are not just dedicated to delivering world‑class scientific solutions and outstanding customer service, we are recognised for it. We were named Best Performing Professional Services Company of the Year at the One Nucleus Awards and CRO of the Year at the OBN awards. We were also finalists for multiple recent multiple awards recognising our commitment to skills and rising talent.

Purpose

In RSSL we are customer focused, science led and results driven. The RSSL Food Sciences laboratory performs a wide range of analytical analyses for a variety of food, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and supports Mondelez research and innovation.

The role at Scientist II is to undertake a technical project management role with people management responsibilities within the Food Sciences laboratory. Play a key role in ensuring that projects are performed and supervised effectively and accurately within agreed timescales and to appropriate quality standards. This role focuses on the management and data review of a wide range of projects across the Food Sciences laboratory, including but not limited to novel food projects, stability studies, product development activities, method development and validations.

The position will be primarily based at the Reading but may be required to work at any of the RSSL sites.

Primary Accountabilities / Responsibilities

Technical

• Provide high quality customer service at all times by ensuring effective organisation of assigned workload, integrity of analytical data generated and timely/accurate provision of results.
• Manage internal/external projects ensuring effective work programmes to agreed timescales.
• To include acting as primary contact for client and managing all communications, hosting review meetings, providing project updates, preparing high quality project reports, liasing with departments to ensure practical work is scheduled and invoicing of external projects.
• Perform data review, provide interpretation of results for routine testing and generate certificate of analysis.
• Demonstrate good organisational skills including engagement with relevant analytical co-ordinators/lab managers. Also facilitate colleagues from other sites and support where required.
• Assist with generation of client proposals for method development, transfers, stability studies and validations.
• Provide training and supervise junior staff in routine activities and methods.
• Will be expected to cross train and work in different laboratories if the demand is required.

Communication & Influence

• Work collaboratively as part of an efficient, high-performing analytical team.
• To liaise with clients, business development and line management to ensure effective communication of project proposals and results.
• Participate in client and stake holder meetings
• Deliver presentations to technical stakeholders and clients as required
• Manage projects of various sizes across Food Sciences

Leadership and supervision

• Plan own workload and plan routine projects for junior staff
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Scientists and Technicians

QEHS

• Work to the highest standards of safety and quality by ensuring that appropriate COSHHs, risk assessments and SOPs are understood and followed.
• To complete assigned quality actions in a timely manner
• Assist with the documentation of SOPs for simple equipment and tests and generation of Risk Assessments and COSHH
• To maintain a clean, tidy and safe working environment.
• To understand and work to the requirements of GMP and UKAS.
• Ensure training records are accurate.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Language Requirements

• Educated to Degree or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline or equivalent relevant experience in a laboratory.
• Scientific understanding and ability to independently manage and deliver several projects
• Experience in mentoring or supervising people, scientific experience to be able to review data and sign off results.
• Accountable, honest, hardworking and able to work efficiently in a team
• Flexible and adaptable to meet customer/business requirements.
• Well organised and capable of working on multiple activities concurrently. Meticulous attention to detail
• Good verbal and written skills with the ability to communicate with client’s and colleagues
• Self motivated, enthusiastic and quick to learn.
• Able to organise own work and others to maximise output
• Computer literate in standard MS office applications
• Experience of working within food analytical laboratories (preferred)
• Experience of working in a regulated environment.
• English fluency (written and spoken)

More About This Role

In return for your commitment, drive and enthusiasm, we offer an attractive benefits package within a highly successful international business that offers financial rewards and resources, including:

• Opportunities to learn and develop
• Performance Related Bonus scheme
• Contributory pension (between 8% to 11% employer contribution)
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• A flexible benefits programme (Gym discounts, private health insurance, restaurant discounts, etc).

Business Unit Summary

Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) is a cutting-edge contract research organisation (CRO), providing research, analysis and consultancy to the food, consumer goods and life science sectors. Whether we are creating new products, validating medicines or solving investigations, we take pride in being a leader in our field, serving clients from across 70 countries. Enriched by our parent company, Mondelēz International, our team are committed to transforming lives through science, innovation and collaboration.

Curious about us and want to learn more?

Please explore: Website YouTube LinkedIn Glassdoor

RSSL is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

#RSSL

Job Type

Regular

Analytical Science

Science & Engineering