Formulation Scientist
Location: Impington, Cambridge, UK
Salary: £47,000 – £60,000 dependent on experience + Bonus/Equity/Healthcare/Improved Pension
Working Pattern: Full time, on-site, lab-based role
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join an innovative materials company developing next-generation bio-based materials for global consumer brands.
The company is revolutionising materials through creativity, science, and scale. Its flagship material is a sophisticated bio-based material engineered from collagen, designed to combine strong performance, sophisticated handfeel, and scalable production. The business partners with leading consumer brands to create products that meet high standards of commercial viability, performance, and sustainability.
Joining the company means helping shape the future of materials on a global stage. This is an opportunity for an ambitious, entrepreneurial scientist who wants to challenge convention, move quickly, and contribute to lasting industry change.
The Role
As a Formulation Scientist within the Product Development Team, you will lead the formulation development of next-generation collagen-based coatings for advanced biomaterials.
This role combines expertise in biobased polymer chemistry with hands-on formulation development, helping translate fundamental science into scalable, high-performance coatings. You will act as a subject matter expert in coatings and formulation science, driving innovation in collagen modification, coating architectures, and application processes to deliver materials with superior aesthetics, durability, and sustainability.
You will play a critical role in bridging chemistry and product performance, developing formulations that are compatible with the company’s material platforms and scalable manufacturing processes.
Key Responsibilities
You will:
• Lead the design and development of novel collagen-based coating formulations, from concept through to pilot-scale validation.
• Develop coatings that deliver targeted performance properties, including flexibility, hand feel, adhesion, and processability.
• Act as the technical lead for coatings within the product development team, guiding formulation strategy and decision-making.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with material scientists, process engineers, and manufacturing teams to ensure scalability and robustness of formulations.
• Optimise coating processes including mixing, application, and finishing.
• Identify and implement new chemistries, additives, and technologies to enhance coating functionality and sustainability.
• Design and execute experimental plans, analyse data, and communicate findings clearly to internal stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, and safety standards in all formulations and processes.
• Stay up to date with scientific literature, patents, and industry trends in coatings, biomaterials, and collagen chemistry.
• Contribute to intellectual property generation and new product innovation pipelines.
Experience & Qualifications
You will bring:
• A PhD with 2–8 years of industrial or academic experience in a relevant scientific discipline, such as Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or Coatings Science; or a Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant industrial experience.
• Strong expertise in formulation science, particularly in coatings, dispersions, emulsions, or polymer systems.
• Proven experience developing and optimising coating formulations for performance applications.
It would be highly desirable if you have expertise in one or more of the following areas:
• Collagen-based materials, including films, hydrogels, or matrices, and formulation development for these systems.
• Coatings for textiles, leather, or flexible substrates.
• Polymer dispersions, such as polyurethanes, acrylics, or bio-based alternatives.
• Rheology and formulation behaviour for coating applications.
• Characterisation techniques such as rheology and mechanical testing.
• Surface science, adhesion, and interface engineering.
• Translating lab-scale formulations to pilot or manufacturing scale.
Additional Requirements
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to resolve technically challenging problems.
• Ability to work independently to manage timelines and deliver results, while being an effective team contributor.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Aptitude with electronic word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation systems, as well as comfort using electronic systems and databases.
• The successful candidate must, by the start of employment, have permission to work in the UK.
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will be:
• A self-starter, highly motivated to create the most effective solutions to technical problems.
• Meticulous in their scientific approach.
• A strong team player, able to utilise both their own talent and that of the wider team effectively.
• Able to tailor communication to different audiences, providing concise and understandable presentations.
• Motivated by the opportunity to make a positive impact on both people and the environment.
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