Chemical Process Engineer

Job Title: Chemical Process 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 and influence innovative product development projects.
• Collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Long-term career progression within a growing manufacturing business.

The Company: An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Chemical Process Engineer to join an innovative and well-established manufacturing business developing advanced materials and specialist surface technologies. Working across R&D, manufacturing and commercial teams, the business has a strong focus on innovation, continuous improvement and bringing new products successfully from concept through to commercial production. This is an opportunity for an experienced Chemical Process Engineer to take genuine ownership of research, formulation, testing and process development activity while working closely with teams across the wider business. Job Description: As a Chemical Process Engineer, you will develop, optimise and commercialise innovative products and materials through scientific research, formulation, testing and process improvement. The role will support product performance, manufacturing efficiency and compliance with quality, safety and environmental standards. The Chemical Process Engineer will be responsible for:

• Leading and executing R&D projects focused on product formulation, material performance and process innovation.
• Designing and conducting laboratory experiments, trials and testing programmes for new and improved products.
• Developing prototypes, analysing test data and producing technical reports and recommendations.
• Supporting structured product development, NPI, stage-gate activity, production scale-up and commercialisation.
• Developing and improving manufacturing processes, systems, tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing and R&D teams.
• Applying structured problem-solving, root cause analysis and engineering principles to product and process issues.
• Monitoring product quality and process performance metrics and identifying continuous improvement opportunities.
• Supporting the qualification and introduction of new raw materials, technologies, equipment and manufacturing methods.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant quality, safety, health and environmental standards and procedures.

Skills & Experience: To be successful as a Chemical Process Engineer, you will ideally have:

• BSc Degree (or equivalent) in Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Surface Technology or a related scientific discipline.
• 5-10 years' experience in product and/or process development within manufacturing, coatings, printing, laminates, polymers or surface technology.
• 5-10 years' experience supporting products through a structured development process, including NPI or stage-gate methodologies.
• Strong understanding of formulation principles, materials science and product performance evaluation.
• 5-10 years' experience conducting and interpreting material performance testing, including physical, mechanical, surface, durability and environmental assessments.
• Strong experience in problem-solving, root cause analysis and continuous improvement.
• Project management experience covering planning, coordination, tracking and reporting of development projects.
• Ability to prepare technical specifications, development reports and product documentation.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to collaborate across technical, production and commercial teams.

Desirable:

• Experience developing UV-curable coatings, radiation-cured inks, decorative surfaces, laminates or related materials.
• Knowledge of UV curing technologies and curing waveforms, including their impact on adhesion, cure response, gloss, colour stability, durability and productivity.
• Experience with roller coating application processes, coating weight control, process optimisation and defect troubleshooting.
• Experience in digital printing technologies and the interaction between printing systems, substrates and coatings.
• Understanding of coating rheology, viscosity control, wetting characteristics, adhesion mechanisms and surface characterisation.
• Experience testing against recognised material performance standards, including abrasion, scratch, chemical, stain, impact, weathering and adhesion resistance.
• Knowledge of material qualification, validation and certification processes.
• Experience working with suppliers on raw material selection, qualification and product optimisation.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis, Design of Experiments (DoE) and data-driven product development.
• Experience within decorative surfaces, laminates, digital print, furniture components or surface finishing industries.
• Knowledge of EN438 or similar material performance testing standards.

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic, innovative and commercially aware.
• Passionate about research, innovation and product development.
• Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Results-focused with a hands-on approach to laboratory trials, pilot trials, production scale-up and implementation.
• An effective communicator and team player who can influence and collaborate across functions