Senior Research Scientist - Materials Science (Level 1 or 2)
Salary: £34,500 - £52,537 per annum (dependent on experience)
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Sedgefield

About the Role:

We are seeking a Senior Research Scientist to join our Materials Science team, with a particular focus on functional materials and coatings. This role is available at either Senior Research Scientist Level 1 or Level 2, depending on the experience, technical expertise and leadership capability demonstrated during the recruitment process.
This opportunity is ideally suited to someone with a strong background in materials science who enjoys translating scientific understanding into practical, real-world solutions. While expertise in coatings is highly desirable, we're also interested in candidates who have worked more broadly across functional materials and are keen to apply their knowledge to a diverse range of industrial challenges.
The successful candidate will play a leading role in project delivery, taking responsibility for technical direction, customer engagement and mentoring colleagues. You'll work across multiple projects ranging from materials development and characterisation through to formulation and application development, helping customers overcome complex technical challenges.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the technical delivery of medium to large-scale customer and collaborative R&D projects.
• Acting as a technical lead for project teams and providing scientific direction to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Designing, planning and executing experimental programmes focused on materials development, characterisation and formulation.
• Developing innovative solutions for customer challenges in functional materials and coatings.
• Analysing, interpreting and presenting technical data and recommendations.
• Building strong relationships with customers, industrial partners and academic collaborators.
• Supporting business development activities, proposal preparation and future project opportunities.
• Coaching, mentoring and developing junior scientists, helping to strengthen capability across the wider team.
• Maintaining high standards of safety, quality, technical reporting and documentation.

About You
We're looking for an experienced Materials Scientist who combines strong technical capability with leadership potential and a collaborative approach.
You will likely have:

• A degree,MSc, PhD or equivalent industrial experience in:
  • Materials Science
  • Chemistry
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Physics
  • Or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in materials development, functional materials or coatings.
• Experience leading projects or technical workstreams within a research, development or industrial environment.
• Strong scientific problem-solving capabilities and the ability to translate ideas into practical outcomes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience supporting, coaching or mentoring colleagues.
• The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and multiple concurrent projects.

Particularly Relevant Experience
We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Functional coatings
• Coating materials and formulation development
• Functional materials
• Materials chemistry
• Materials characterisation
• Sustainable materials
• Bio-based or recycled materials
• Advanced materials development
• Battery materials
• Product and process development

Why Join CPI?
This is an opportunity to play a leading role within a highly diverse Materials Science team, working across a broad portfolio of innovative technologies and customer projects. You'll have the chance to influence technical direction, develop future capabilities, support the growth of colleagues and help bring novel materials and coating technologies closer to commercial application.
The role would particularly suit someone who enjoys combining technical leadership, project delivery and scientific innovation, and who is ready to take ownership of projects while helping develop the next generation of materials scientists.

If you have been referred by a CPI employee, please apply through us and email recruitment@uk-cpi.com referencing campaign advert along with the person who has referred you.

Guidant, Carbon60, Lorien & SRG - The Vertage Group Portfolio are acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.