Senior Material Scientist in London

At Notpla, we’re at the forefront of sustainable innovation, creating natural alternatives to single‑use plastic packaging that are carefully engineered to help build a healthier planet. Founded on the belief that nature knows best, we’re an innovative, action‑oriented scale‑up developing and manufacturing uncompromisingly natural packaging solutions from seaweed and plants.

As a Senior Material Scientist, you’ll spearhead scientific and technological breakthroughs, playing a pivotal role in developing natural polymer technologies to replace plastic. This role will suit someone with a background in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering, with hands‑on experience working with natural materials such as biopolyesters, rubbers, resins, seaweed, and/or processes such as PET recycling and/or polymer extrusion.

This is an exciting time to join Notpla - we’re on the brink of a record‑breaking year for revenue and on track for major growth in the next 18–24 months. Beyond offering meaningful roles and a vibrant working environment, Notpla provides competitive compensation, including EMI Share Options, a zero‑carbon pension scheme, discounts with local businesses, and subsidised social activities. Our office‑first hybrid working policy lets you work in the way that maximises your productivity while maintaining a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere.

As a Senior Material Scientist, you’ll balance fast‑paced feasibility initiatives with in‑depth polymer and process development. Your work will be highly hands‑on and collaborative, engaging with cross‑disciplinary teams and international partners. You’ll tackle complex materials challenges, coordinate trials, scout novel natural polymer opportunities, and engage with a network of scientific experts and labs to bring innovation to life.

Within the Innovation Team, you’ll thrive in a setting that embraces ambiguity and agile ways of working. You’ll collaborate closely with colleagues from diverse backgrounds - such as design, engineering, and business - to develop new materials and products. A true innovator, you’ll explore the unknown, constantly learning and pushing the boundaries of science rooted in nature.

• Play a central scientific role in a large consortium project, guiding technical direction, developing agile strategies and experimental plans, conducting hands‑on work, and coordinating polymer chemistry activities across partners.
• Pioneer new approaches to polymer synthesis and processing from abundant natural materials.
• Conduct feasibility studies and fast‑paced discovery projects to address material science and packaging challenges.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑disciplinary teams - including designers, engineers, seaweed specialists, and business development managers - to solve complex problems.
• Identify, source, and test natural materials; develop formulations that meet performance, sustainability, and cost targets.
• Design and execute experiments, analyse data, and present findings to drive decision‑making and project progress.
• Stay up to date with the latest scientific and industry advancements, integrating new knowledge into projects.
• Contribute to the development of intellectual property, including patents and trade secrets.
• Provide technical input for grant and client proposals to secure funding.
• Lead in‑depth development projects to advance the understanding of seaweed and biomaterials for packaging applications.
• Characterise polymer structures, reactions, and material behaviour, and conduct performance, shelf‑life, and compatibility studies.
• Represent Notpla to external partners, academic institutions, and commercial labs; coordinate third‑party testing as needed.
• Develop groundbreaking technical strategies and approaches to solve key challenges.
• Mentor colleagues (scientists, designers, engineers) to help develop their technical skills and support their project work.
• Plan and manage your own workload effectively.

Notpla is a family of regenerative packaging materials, made from seaweed and plants. Behind these products is a company of the same name, deeply committed to making the planet a healthier place. Winner of the prestigious Earthshot Prize, Notpla are famed for their innovative, scalable alternatives to plastic. These include the edible liquid bubbles - Ooho, their seaweed‑coated food containers, single‑use films and rigid materials. To date, their solutions have already replaced 16 million pieces of single‑use plastic from entering our environment.

Notpla Limited takes inclusion and diversity seriously. It is important for us that we live by our values and our policies outline how – We work better together. Notpla is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination.