Overview
You will design and develop advanced polymer materials for Electrolube coatings, potting compounds, and thermal interface materials. You will advance polyurethane and UV-curable chemistries from concept to commercialisation, ensuring alignment with customer, manufacturing, and business goals. In a cross-functional R&D context, you drive innovation, scale-up, and continuous improvement to deliver high-performance materials for electronics applications. This role offers the chance to impact product performance and support global growth with cutting-edge chemistries.
Pay / Benefits
- salary starting from 48,770 per annum
- performance related bonus
- pension
- life assurance
- health cash plan
- training and development
Responsibilities
- Design, synthesize, and develop novel polymer systems for coatings, potting compounds, encapsulants, and TIMs
- Formulate and optimize polyurethane, UV-curable, and other thermoset technologies for target applications
- Lead lab-scale projects from concept to scale-up and commercialisation
- Develop new resin chemistries to achieve adhesion, flexibility, hardness, chemical resistance, and environmental durability
- Conduct formulation studies and performance testing to understand structure-property relationships
- Troubleshoot formulation, processing, and manufacturing challenges through scientific analysis
- Collaborate with application engineers, manufacturing, quality, and customers to meet market needs
- Evaluate new raw materials, technologies, and suppliers to drive innovation
- Support scale-up activities including pilot trials, process validation, and manufacturing implementation
- Generate technical reports and development summaries to communicate progress
- Ensure safety and regulatory compliance in all lab work
- Provide polymer chemistry expertise across the business
Key requirements
- PhD, MSc, or Bachelor in Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry, or related field
- Proven industrial experience in synthetic polymer development and formulation
- Strong background in polyurethane chemistry and formulation
- Hands-on experience with UV-curable materials (acrylates and/or cationic)
- Experience in coatings, potting compounds, encapsulants, adhesives, sealants, TIMs, or related polymers
- Knowledge of polymer synthesis, curing mechanisms, and characterization methods
- Experience taking products from lab development through scale-up to manufacturing
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication for technical and non-technical audiences
- Ability to manage multiple projects in cross-functional teams
- Experience with Lean and continuous improvement initiatives
- IT literate with MS Office; capable of handling experimental data and reports
- DOE and statistical analysis experience desirable
- Knowledge of electronics protection and thermal management materials; regulatory awareness desirable
- Excellent communication
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Problem-solving mindset
- Polymer synthesis and formulation
- Polyurethane chemistry
- UV-curable systems (acrylate and/or cationic)
R&D Scientist - Synthetic Polymer Chemist in Ashby de la Zouch employer: Element Solutions
MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, the company provides extensive training and development opportunities, alongside competitive benefits such as a performance-related bonus scheme, generous holiday allowance, and a supportive culture rooted in its core values of Challenge, Commit, Collaborate, Choose, and Care. Located in Ashby, the site boasts convenient access to major transport links and amenities, making it an ideal place for professionals eager to make a meaningful impact in the electronics industry.
