Process Technology Chemist Student Placement 2027 -2028

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, leverages its unmatched science to unlock immense possibilities at the molecular level, driving sustainable and measurable results to help the world Move Cleaner, Create Smarter and Live Better. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol owns and operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices around the world and has approximately 8,800 employees. For more information, view our latest Corporate Report.

Process Technology Chemist – Student Placement

Location: Blackley, Manchester, UK
Job Type: Full-Time Student Placement (Industrial Placement Year)

How You'll Make an Impact

As a Process Technology Chemist – Student Placement , you will gain hands-on experience in polymer synthesis, process development, and the scale-up of innovative specialty chemical products. Working within our Process Technology team, you will support the development and manufacture of polymeric dispersants used in paints, inks, and plastics applications.

This placement offers exposure to the full product development lifecycle, from laboratory synthesis through to manufacturing implementation and application testing, providing a unique opportunity to see how scientific innovation translates into commercial success.

In this role, you will:

• Synthesize and develop novel polymeric dispersants for paints, inks, and plastics applications.
• Produce larger-scale samples suitable for customer trials while ensuring processes remain scalable and meet quality standards.
• Supporting the siting of products and processes in manufacturing plants.
• Maintain accurate electronic laboratory notebooks and comprehensive records of experimental work and findings.
• Analyse data and communicate project progress and results through team meetings and formal project reviews.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including research, applications, and manufacturing groups to advance product development programmes.

Required Qualifications that Enable Your Success

• Currently studying a chemistry-related degree with an industrial placement year and aiming for, or currently achieving, a 2:1 degree classification or above.
• Possess practical laboratory experience gained through university coursework or previous placements.
• Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively within a team while also showing initiative and independence on assigned projects.
• Have strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload effectively to meet project deadlines.
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office applications, enabling clear documentation and data analysis.

Preferred Qualifications that Drive You Forward

• A strong interest in organic and polymer chemistry.
• Enthusiasm to engage in the entire development process, from candidate optimisation to scale-up and manufacture on plant.

Your Work Environment

At Lubrizol, you'll work within a collaborative process technology environment focused on candidate optimsation, robustness and scale up of products. This role is laboratory-based and provides exposure to the full product development lifecycle through close collaboration with research, application, and process technology teams.

Benefits that Empower You

• Competitive salary.
• Discretionary bonus.
• Generous annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays.
• Competitive pension scheme.
• Flexible working hours.
• Project work aligned to the requirements of your academic year, integrating academic and practical experience.
• Access to on-site amenities such as a gym and restaurant to support your health and wellbeing.
• Free on-site parking.

Located three miles north of Manchester City Centre, Blackley is home to some of the most popular green spaces in the area including Heaton Park (the biggest park in Greater Manchester, and one of the largest municipal parks in Western Europe), Blackley Forest and Boggart Hole Clough. Reflecting its history as a textile manufacturing hub, the Manchester area was once known as “Cotttonopolis.” The Manchester Ship Canal, built in 1894, enabled oceangoing ships to sail right into the Port of Manchester. Today, Manchester's museums celebrate its rich industrial heritage and its role in the Industrial Revolution, the textile industry, the Trade Union movement, women's suffrage and football (Manchester United and Manchester City). Residents and visitors can get a sense of Manchester’s Roman history by touring a reconstructed part of the Roman fort of Mamucium (circa 79 AD), which is open to the public in Castlefield. Returning to the twenty-first century, Blackley is near The Manchester Arndale is the UK's largest city centre shopping centre, followed closely by the nearby Trafford Center, which boasts Europe’s largest food court and the UK’s most frequently visited cinema.