Senior Development Chemist

Theo James Recruitment Ltd; Shildon; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish Fridays

Training & development

Lead product development

Collaborative environment

Career progression

Job summary

Theo James Recruitment Ltd is seeking a Senior Formulation Chemist / Chemical Development Engineer for a hands-on role in a well-established manufacturing business. You will develop, test and scale chemical formulations from lab to pilot and full production, with strong emphasis on performance, stability and manufacturability.

The ideal candidate will have a chemistry degree and 5–10 years’ hands-on formulation and scale-up experience, plus a proven track record in taking formulations through to

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
• Approximately 5–10 years' hands-on formulation, R&D, chemical development or product development experience.
• Strong practical experience developing and modifying chemical formulations within a laboratory environment.
• Proven experience scaling formulations from small laboratory batches into larger production volumes.
• Good understanding of how formulation properties and processing conditions can change during manufacturing scale-up.
• Experience working with production teams to troubleshoot formulation and manufacturing issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to plan and deliver development projects.

Responsibilities

• Developing and improving chemical formulations for new and existing products, focusing on performance, stability and commercial viability.
• Designing and carrying out hands-on laboratory experiments, formulation trials and material testing.
• Taking formulations from small lab batches through pilot trials and into full-scale manufacturing.
• Identifying and resolving scaling-up challenges, including mixing and viscosity issues and processing conditions.
• Conducting physical, chemical and performance testing to validate formulations against specifications.
• Analysing test results and adjusting formulations to improve performance and manufacturability.
• Collaborating with production and engineering to introduce new formulations into manufacturing.
• Investigating formulation issues, product defects and manufacturing challenges through structured testing.

Skills

Chemistry degree

R&D formulation

Lab testing

Scale-up manufacture

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Education

Chemistry or related degree

Job description

Job Title: Senior Formulation Chemist / Chemical Development Engineer

Salary: £47,000 - £59,000, depending on experience

Location: Bishop Auckland

Benefits

• Early finish every Friday.
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Opportunity to lead new product development and formulation projects.
• Collaborative working environment with significant input into product development.
• Long-term career progression within an established manufacturing business.

The Company

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced chemistry professional to join an innovative and well-established manufacturing business specialising in advanced materials and surface technologies.

The business is looking for someone with a strong background in chemical formulation, laboratory testing and product development, particularly someone who has successfully taken formulations from small-scale laboratory batches through to larger-scale manufacturing.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Chemist or Chemical Development Engineer who enjoys hands-on laboratory work but also wants to see their formulations developed into commercially manufactured products.

Job Description

As a Senior Formulation Chemist / Chemical Development Engineer, you will take responsibility for developing, testing, optimising and scaling up chemical formulations for new and existing products.

A key part of the role will involve taking formulations developed in the laboratory and successfully transferring them into larger production volumes, ensuring consistency, performance, quality and manufacturability.

Responsibilities will include:

• Developing and improving chemical formulations for new and existing products, with a focus on performance, stability and commercial viability.
• Designing and carrying out hands-on laboratory experiments, formulation trials and material testing.
• Taking formulations from small laboratory batches through pilot trials and into full-scale manufacturing.
• Identifying and resolving challenges associated with scaling up formulations, including mixing, viscosity, processing conditions and product consistency.
• Conducting physical, chemical and performance testing to validate formulations against required specifications.
• Analysing test results and adjusting formulations to improve product performance, durability and manufacturing efficiency.
• Working closely with production and engineering teams to successfully introduce new formulations into manufacturing.
• Investigating formulation issues, product defects and manufacturing challenges through structured testing and root cause analysis.
• Supporting raw material selection, supplier trials and the introduction of alternative materials.

Skills & Experience

To be considered, you will ideally have:

• A degree in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
• Approximately 5-10 years' experience in a hands-on formulation, R&D, chemical development or product development role.
• Strong practical experience developing and modifying chemical formulations within a laboratory environment.
• Proven experience conducting laboratory testing, analysing results and improving formulations based on product performance.
• Demonstrable experience scaling formulations from small laboratory batches into larger production volumes.
• A good understanding of how formulation properties and processing conditions can change during manufacturing scale-up.
• Experience working closely with production teams to troubleshoot formulation and manufacturing issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to independently plan and deliver development projects.

Desirable Experience

Experience in any of the following areas would be particularly beneficial:

• Coatings, inks, paints, resins, adhesives, polymers, laminates or surface treatments.
• UV-curable coatings, radiation-cured inks or specialist chemical formulations.
• Rheology, viscosity, adhesion, curing behaviour and material compatibility.
• Pilot-scale trials, production validation and new product introduction.
• Testing material properties such as abrasion, scratch, chemical resistance, durability and adhesion.
• Design of Experiments (DoE), formulation optimisation and statistical analysis.

The Ideal Candidate

We are particularly interested in speaking with experienced chemists who have spent a significant part of their career developing formulations, testing products and solving practical challenges in the laboratory.

You will be someone who understands the chemistry behind a formulation but can also appreciate the challenges of manufacturing that product at scale.

Most importantly, you will have real hands-on experience taking a formulation from an initial laboratory batch through testing, development and ultimately into larger-scale production