R&D Director - Chemical Manufacturing

Nottingham, United Kingdom | Posted on 20/12/2024

• Work Experience ≥7 years of industrial experience in the chemical industry, with ≥ 5 years demonstrated experience leading/managing a research and development team focused on product development and bringing those products to the market
• City Nottingham
• Province Nottinghamshire
• Country United Kingdom
• Postal Code NG7

About Us

Pioneering a Paradigm Shift

Attitudes to climate change are driving more action to implement decarbonisation solutions.

Promethean, through its use of Continuous Flow Hydrothermal Synthesis (CFHS) and patented reactor systems, is delivering the materials and technology to meet these demands via MOF-based carbon capture.

Job Description

Promethean’s mission is to help decarbonise the world and accelerate the energy transition by unleashing the untapped potential of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in key applications.

Making MOFs a commercially viable technology involves solving several critical technical challenges. In this role, the post holder will lead the R&D function, with a pragmatic focus on the activities that derisk the technology and which provide the most direct route to customer success.

Our focus is on the commercialisation of existing MOFs using our proprietary reactor technology, rather than researching new MOFs. Therefore, the post holder will be responsible for driving rapid technical progress by linking successful customer outcomes to the technological steps necessary to deliver that value. This is a role for an experienced technical leader with a strong bias towards pragmatism, innovation, and action.

As a fast-growing startup, our focus is on making rapid progress and finding innovative ways to achieve technical milestones. The R&D Director will be leading a team of MOF specialists, so needs the technical knowledge to effectively guide and develop this team. You do not need to be a MOF specialist, but you must have experience in leading a scientific team to commercialise novel materials.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Key member of the company’s leadership team, helping set, shape, and deliver the company’s strategy, mission and vision.
• Lead, develop, and mentor the company’s R&D team to ensure the company achieves its strategic growth goals and the team continues to develop professionally.
• Develop and maintain the company’s intellectual property portfolio, ensuring upkeep of existing patents, the filing of new core-IP, and the protection of valuable know-how.
• Ensure safe operation of the company’s laboratory facilities through a systematic use and upkeep of standard operating procedures, risk assessments, and equipment maintenance. Ensure compliance with all relevant operating laws and regulations, particularly with respect to environmental, health and safety of the R&D team, its processes and equipment.
• Be responsible for the implementation of an effective stage-gate commercialisation process, helping the organisation adopt a systematic approach to derisking product development.
• Instil a professional, customer-focused approach to product development, driving urgency, agility, and a clear prioritisation of ‘needs’ versus ‘wants’.
• Develop operational excellence in the field of product development, ensuring experimental design planning leads to robust, reliable and repeatable products that can be successfully transferred to manufacturing and ultimately be sold to our customers.
• Represent the company at conferences and tradeshows, delivering technical presentations and participating in the company booth.
• By developing a clear understanding of customer priorities and needs, develop and present technical proposals for commercial R&D projects, including cost analysis and budgeting.
• Work with internal team to report on costs against budget during each project and after completion.
• Identify sources of, and lead bid submissions for, non-dilutive funding to help advance the company’s research and development aims.
• Manage Promethean’s publicly funded grant R&D projects (e.g. UKRI-funded), which includes ensuring all key work is completed, milestones are met and delivered and technical and financial reporting is adequately provided to the relevant funding bodies.
• Own and manage the R&D capital expenditure process with regard to advancing and/or improving R&D equipment.
• Work with the Company’s accountant and lead the collation of information to support the company’s R&D Tax Credit submission each year.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Required:

• Degree-level qualification or higher in chemical sciences.
• Significant industrial experience in the chemical industry, with years demonstrated experience leading/managing a research and development team focused on product development and bringing those products to the market.
• A working knowledge of stage-gate/commercialisation processes.
• Track record of successfully delivering projects, using project management discipline, understanding critical path and prioritisation of essential versus ‘nice to haves.’
• Proficient command of spoken and written English, including the ability to write and compile technical documents.
• IT skills: competence in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Communication and interpersonal skills: ability to discuss technical issues in a professional manner in a commercial setting (both internally and externally).
• Ability to work in a commercial setting, e.g. appreciation of confidential or proprietary information and ability to meet commercial targets and timescales.
• Applicants must be authorised to work in the UK without restrictions.
• Willingness to travel (<10% of time).

The following are highly desirable but not essential:

• PhD in the chemical sciences.
• Experience leading a stage-gate product development process, ideally having worked on the implementation of a system and managing the associated change.
• Experience of the following analytical techniques: X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), N 2 adsorption by BET method, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA).
• Experience in working on, managing and/or reporting on grant-funded R&D projects.
• Experience of IP protection, e.g. patent filing.
• Previous experience of using continuous-flow equipment for chemical synthesis is useful.

Note: No Relocation/Visa sponsorship is aligned with this role.

Promethean Offers:

Our evolving total compensation philosophy is designed around performance-based remuneration – competitive base pay, variable pay that rewards both individual and company performance, and comprehensive benefits that currently include:

· Private medical insurance (with vision and dental provisions)

· Company matched pension

· Company sick pay

· Flexible approach to working hours

Promethean also provides both formal and informal learning opportunities within a diverse, inclusive, and rewarding work environment.

We offer the chance to work within a small yet growing agile company and directly and visibly contribute to its growth and success.

A unique opportunity to help the planet and its people through the successful deployment of our pioneering technology.

Promethean is committed to diversity in our workforce and providing equal opportunities for employment. We encourage every employee to bring their whole self to work each day, not only deliver more value, but also have a more fulfilling career.

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