At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead R&D programmes for sustainable coatings and packaging technologies.
- Company: Join Metalchemy, an award-winning deep-tech company making a real environmental impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 30 days annual leave, and strong career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with exposure to diverse technologies and significant responsibility.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of innovation in sustainable materials and make a difference.
- Qualifications: PhD in relevant fields with strong research and communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 33000 - 36000 £ per year.
Location: Lambeth, South West London (laboratory-based/in-person role)
Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm (42.5 hours per week)
Salary: £33,000–£36,000 gross per year depending on experience, with strong progression opportunities based on performance and contribution.
About Metalchemy
Metalchemy is an award-winning UK deep-tech company developing and commercialising patented sustainable coating and advanced materials technologies for food packaging and other high-impact applications. Our mission is to create measurable environmental impact through the successful commercialisation of science. We develop antimicrobial and functional materials that help reduce food waste, improve product performance, and enable more sustainable packaging and supply chains.
The Role
We are seeking an ambitious and commercially minded PhD-level scientist with expertise in coatings, polymers, formulations, biomaterials, packaging materials, or related technologies to help develop the next generation of sustainable coating systems and functional materials. The primary focus of the role will be the development of technologies for food packaging and food-contact applications, with opportunities to contribute to healthcare and other industrial sectors as Metalchemy's technology platform expands.
Responsibilities
- Lead and deliver R&D programmes focused on sustainable coatings, food & packaging technologies, antimicrobial materials, and advanced material systems.
- Develop, optimise, and validate coatings, bio-coatings, formulations, composites, colloidal systems, and functional materials across a range of substrates.
- Manage and contribute to multiple concurrent customer, grant-funded, and internal innovation projects.
- Support customer projects through technical leadership, product validation, application development, trial design, data interpretation, and preparation of technical deliverables.
- Contribute to the preparation, delivery, and reporting of grant-funded programmes and collaborative R&D projects.
- Prepare and deliver technical reports, customer presentations, scientific publications, conference papers, and dissemination materials.
- Build strong relationships with customers, academic collaborators, manufacturers, research organisations, and industry partners.
Requirements
Essential:
- PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Food Packaging, Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomaterials, Coatings Science, or a related discipline.
- Strong experimental research experience gained through doctoral studies.
- Experience in at least one of the following areas: Coatings and formulations, Polymer science and engineering, Packaging materials, Functional surfaces, Biomaterials, Active or antimicrobial packaging, Colloidal systems and dispersions.
- Excellent scientific writing, reporting, and presentation skills.
- Strong data analysis and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Interest in translating scientific innovation into commercially successful products.
Highly Desirable:
- Research focused on active packaging, food-contact materials, barrier coatings, antimicrobial technologies, bio-coatings, cellulose-based materials, or sustainable packaging.
- Experience developing coatings, formulations, composites, functional materials, or advanced material systems.
- Experience with silver-based materials, antimicrobial additives, nanomaterials, colloids, dispersions, or surface-engineered materials.
- Experience working with paper-based packaging, fibre-based materials, biopolymers, compostable materials, synthetic polymers, or composite substrates.
- Knowledge of food-contact regulations, packaging compliance, and food safety requirements.
- Experience with industrial collaborations, grant-funded research, publications, patents, or technology commercialisation.
- Experience using Design of Experiments (DoE), statistical analysis, machine learning tools, or AI-enabled R&D workflows.
What Success Looks Like
Within your 6-months, you will:
- Contribute to the successful delivery of 3–5 concurrent innovation projects across coatings, packaging, and advanced materials.
- Develop increasing ownership of specific research programmes, technology platforms, or customer projects.
- Deliver high-quality technical reports, presentations, publications, and experimental outputs.
- Generate robust scientific data that contributes to customer validation, commercial deployment, intellectual property generation, and business growth.
- Present technical findings confidently to customers, industry partners, funding bodies, collaborators, and internal stakeholders.
- Become a trusted technical contributor across both scientific and commercial activities.
Why Join Metalchemy?
- Join an award-winning deep-tech company developing patented technologies with measurable environmental and commercial impact.
- Work directly with founders, senior scientists, customers, manufacturers, universities, and strategic partners.
- Gain exposure to the full innovation lifecycle, from laboratory research and product development through to customer deployment and commercial scale-up.
- Contribute to patents, publications, grant-funded programmes, customer projects, and new product launches.
- Take on significant responsibility and ownership from an early stage in your career.
- Benefit from strong opportunities for progression into senior technical, innovation, and project leadership roles based on performance and contribution.
30 days annual leave including bank holidays.
R&D Scientist in London employer: Metalchemy
Metalchemy is an exceptional employer for R&D Scientists, offering a dynamic work environment in Lambeth, South West London, where innovation meets sustainability. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to take ownership of impactful projects and contribute to groundbreaking technologies that reduce food waste and enhance packaging solutions. The company fosters a collaborative culture, providing access to cutting-edge resources and a clear pathway for career advancement, making it an ideal place for ambitious scientists looking to make a meaningful difference.
