Process Development Engineer

This role is centred around scale‑up engineering – taking learnings from laboratory, trialling and testing them at scale before they can be integrated into a full pilot line. The role takes ownership of the experimental programme and scale‑up translation workstream, freeing the broader team to focus on operational delivery.

You will sit at the interface between the chemistry team and the pilot plant — defining what process questions need answering, designing and running the trials that answer them, and translating outcomes into process decisions. The work is hands‑on, analytical, and consequential.

About Uplift360

Uplift360 is an Advanced Materials Company securing sovereign supply for Europe’s defence, security and vital industries.

We secure and produce critical advanced materials, including carbon fibre and aramids, for European defence and industry by sourcing, recovering and regenerating high‑value materials into secure industrial supply chains.

As geopolitical instability, supply chain fragility and industrial competition intensify, access to advanced materials is becoming a defining strategic advantage.

Uplift360 is building the infrastructure and technology required to secure it.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop the structured experimental programme for ChemR process development — defining what questions need answering, designing the trials that answer them rigorously, and ensuring outcomes are translated into actionable process decisions
• Investigate both chemical process variables (temperature, solvent conditions, reagent concentrations, reaction kinetics) and engineering variables (residence time distribution, mixing, heat transfer, auxiliary process behaviour) — understanding how each affects fibre quality outcomes
• Apply sound experimental design principles: structured work packages, controlled variables, statistically meaningful datasets, and clear outcome definition
• Maintain a structured record of all process trials — building a process knowledge base the whole team can interrogate and that underpins scale‑up decisions

Process Scale-Up & Translation

• Translate lab-scale ChemR process conditions into pilot-scale operating parameters — understanding and accounting for the engineering differences between scales
• Identify and resolve scale-up challenges: mass transfer limitations, heat transfer behaviour, mixing uniformity, residence time distribution
• Build a defensible understanding of process windows — what conditions produce good fibre, what conditions produce poor fibre, and why
• Work directly with the chemistry team to ensure lab insights are accurately captured and systematically tested at pilot scale

Pilot Plant Operations & Development

• Contribute to commissioning of new process equipment and auxiliary systems
• Develop and maintain SOPs for process development activities
• Conduct root cause analysis when processes deviate — systematic, rigorous, documented

Process Engineering Support

• Contribute to process design deliverables including PFDs, P&IDs, and mass balances alongside the Principal Engineer
• Support HAZOP studies and process safety assessments as a process knowledge contributor
• Provide process engineering inputs to equipment specifications and procurement decisions

Data & Documentation

• Record and analyse process trial data systematically — building a process knowledge base that is accessible and reproducible
• Generate technical reports summarising process development findings and recommendations
• Contribute technical content to grant applications and funding reports where required

These key accountabilities listed above describes an overview of the post and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable additional tasks of similar level that may be necessary and not listed.

What We’re Looking For

• Degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, or a closely related discipline — with a solid grounding in reaction engineering, mass and energy balances, and unit operations
• Industrial process development or scale-up experience — has taken a process from one scale to another and understands what changes and why
• Demonstrated ability to design and own structured experimental programmes — not just running trials but defining the questions, designing the methodology, and translating outcomes into decisions
• Hands‑on pilot or lab‑scale process operations experience — comfortable running equipment, not just designing it
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving ability — can diagnose why a process isn’t behaving as expected and propose a structured solution
• Clear technical documentation skills — can write an SOP, a trial report, or a process summary that others can follow and build on

Strongly desirable

• Experience with solvent-based, reactive, or dissolution chemistry processes
• Familiarity with process safety principles — HAZOP participation, risk assessment, COSHH
• MSc or PhD by research in chemical engineering or a related discipline — particularly if focused on process development or green chemistry
• NEBOSH Process Safety Management or equivalent
• Experience working in a small team or early‑stage company where the process is still being defined

We are not looking for someone who has all the answers on day one. We are looking for someone with the chemical engineering fundamentals, the hands‑on instinct, and the intellectual honesty to work through problems systematically in a process that is still being fully understood.

The Team

You will join a multi‑disciplinary team of engineers, technicians and chemists. You will work closely with the chemistry team on process translation and with the Process Engineers on engineering documentation. The team is technically serious, practically minded, and collaborative — expect to be challenged and supported in equal measure.

Why Join Uplift360?

We are a family friendly company that believes in the importance of supporting our employees to find and maintain an excellent work life balance. Your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us.

We offer:

• Generous holiday allowance, with a policy that encourages taking time off to recharge.
• 37 days leave (full year, FTE) including UK bank holidays.
• Core business hours are 0900-1700 Monday-Friday. Working hours must adhere to the open hours of the facility. This role will be based at our Bristol sites (Science Creates Old Market & St. Phillips).
• We’re happy to discuss flexible working options to support work-life balance at interview stage.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably

qualified persons.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job.

Pre-Employment Checks

As part of the application process, this role is subject to satisfactory pre‑employment checks. These may include verification of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, references, and disclosure of any unspent criminal convictions. By applying for this position, candidates agree to these checks being carried out.

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