Paper & Coating Engineer

Overview

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Notpla is at the leading edge of sustainable innovation, creating natural alternatives to single-use plastic packaging that are engineered to create a healthier planet. We develop and manufacture natural packaging solutions from seaweed and plants, and operate as an innovative, action-oriented scale-up.

Led by strong values, Notpla gives employees autonomy within their domain. We offer competitive salaries, the potential for EMI Share Options, a zero-carbon pension scheme, discounts with local businesses, and subsidised social activities. Our office-first hybrid policy supports productivity while maintaining a vibrant and collaborative environment. We are a diverse, social business committed to making plastic disappear.

Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Paper & Coating Engineer with industry experience in paper and coatings to join our growing R&D team. This role is critical in developing and optimising seaweed-based formulations, ensuring they meet performance requirements and can be scaled for commercial use. The Paper & Coating Engineer will work closely with a formulation scientist and a process engineer, collaborating on research, formulation, and process improvements. This is an exciting opportunity to drive impactful R&D work for commercial projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulation Development & Optimisation: Design and optimise seaweed-based coatings and paper formulations, balancing properties such as adhesion, flexibility, barrier performance, and biodegradability.
• Conduct rheology studies and material characterisation to fine-tune formulations for specific applications.
• Identify and integrate novel raw materials to enhance performance and sustainability.
• Work on material compatibility studies to ensure formulations meet industrial and regulatory standards.
• Develop prototype samples and conduct performance testing under real-world conditions.

• Analytical Chemistry & Material Characterisation: Develop and validate analytical test methods to ensure consistency and reproducibility in formulation performance.
• Assess film-forming properties, barrier properties, and mechanical performance of coatings and substrates.
• Interpret data and provide insights to refine formulations based on performance outcomes.

• Scale-Up & Trials: Work with the process engineer to transition lab-scale formulations into pilot-scale and commercial-scale production.
• Participate in pilot trials and factory production runs, ensuring formulations perform as expected in real-world conditions.
• Troubleshoot formulation issues during scale-up, collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Document scale-up findings and optimise processes for efficiency and reproducibility.

• Project Management: Drive formulation workstreams from concept to execution, meeting key milestones on time.
• Develop and maintain project timelines, coordinating with internal teams and external partners.
• Communicate project progress with internal stakeholders, providing clear updates and risk assessments.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Align formulation strategies with process capabilities and translate complex findings for non-technical stakeholders.

• Quality Assurance & Documentation: Ensure formulations meet regulatory and industrial standards, document all parameters and testing results, and create SOPs to ensure reproducibility.

• External Partnership Building: Identify and engage external partners, such as material suppliers, labs, contract manufacturers, and technology consultants, to fast-track scale-up activities.
• Coordinate and oversee development activities with partners to ensure project alignment with company standards.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Industry Background

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of industry experience in coatings, paper-based materials, or polymer formulation.
• Strong background in analytical chemistry and material characterization techniques.

Technical Skills

• Expertise in natural polymer coatings, surface treatments, and film-forming properties.
• Hands-on experience with natural polymer formulations (e.g., starches, proteins, cellulose, alginates).
• Knowledge of barrier coatings, adhesion technologies, and functional additives.
• Deep knowledge in coating processes and paper production.

Partnership & Communication Skills

• Ability to identify, establish, and manage external partnerships to accelerate scale-up activities and overcome resource constraints.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated capacity to represent the company in technical discussions with partners and stakeholders.

About Us

Notpla is a family of regenerative packaging materials, made from seaweed and plants. We are committed to making the planet healthier. Notpla has won the Earthshot Prize and offers innovative, scalable alternatives to plastic, including Ooho and seaweed-coated containers. To date, our solutions have replaced millions of pieces of single-use plastic.

Notpla Limited is committed to inclusion and diversity. We value equality and diversity in our workforce and promote inclusive policies.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Engineering and Information Technology

Industries

Packaging and Containers Manufacturing