Principal Chemist

A leading Water Purification company has a new opportunity for a Principal Chemist to join their business. The company have evolved in the UK over the past few years and are now one of the leading chemical & water treatment providers in the UK. Due to ongoing expansion across their sites, they now have a rare opportunity for a senior level Chemist to join the business. They are offering an attractive salary between £43k to £48k with additional 8% bonus, Healthcare options, Life Cover, Company Pension and much more.

The Principal Chemist will be situated in their R&D team and the purpose of the role is to devise and formulate new resin bead products, to understand customer needs and deliver targeted solutions, and develop, with the help of the RD&E Group Leader and surrounding team, efficient procedures for the scale-up of resin products to plant manufacturing. Perform process investigations to improve existing process efficiency and to develop new processes where necessary.

Responsibilities of the Principal Chemist will include :

Product innovation - Develop and synthesise new materials, including ion‑exchange resins, adsorbents, chromatography media and bioprocessing resins.
Process optimisation - Improve manufacturing efficiency through targeted optimisation and cost‑reduction initiatives.
Collaborative R&D - Work independently and alongside RD&E teams to ensure safe, effective laboratory practices.
Cross‑functional coordination - Partner with process development, tech transfer and production teams to support smooth scale‑up and commercialisation.
Technical awareness - Review scientific papers, patents and industry publications to stay current with emerging technologies.
Laboratory safety - Maintain high Health & Safety standards, including management of COSHH, SDS and risk‑assessment records.

Skills required for the Principal Chemist:

PhD in Chemistry - Doctorate (or equivalent) in chemistry, ideally with a focus on synthetic organic or polymer chemistry.
Synthesis expertise - Strong hands‑on experience in organic/polymer synthesis and relevant analytical techniques, particularly those used for chromatographic or bead‑based products.
Industry R&D experience - in a research, development or scientific role, preferably within an industrial environment.
Independent & team working - Proven ability to contribute effectively both autonomously and within multidisciplinary teams.
Supervisory capability - Experience guiding or coordinating colleagues in project execution.
Professional skills - Highly self‑motivated, organised and methodical, with excellent attention to detail and strong communication/reporting skills.
Laboratory safety awareness - Solid understanding of research‑lab safety requirements, including COSHH, MSDS, risk assessments and safe chemical‑handling practices.

In return they offer a highly competitive salary with very attractive benefits