Development Chemist

Here at Alexander Steele Recruitment we continue to work with an established FMCG manufacturer that develops and produces a wide range of consumer household products.

Due to continued growth within their product development function, they are looking to recruit a Development Chemist to join their NPD team.

This is a hands-on role combining formulation development, laboratory work, innovation and manufacturing support. You will be involved in taking products from initial concept through testing, scale-up and commercialisation, while also improving existing formulations and supporting wider technical projects.

The Role

As Development Chemist, you will be responsible for:

* Developing and improving formulations across a range of household goods.

* Planning and carrying out laboratory trials, stability testing, compatibility assessments and product performance evaluations.

* Supporting the transfer of new formulations from laboratory development through pilot trials and into full-scale manufacturing.

* Investigating formulation, raw material and manufacturing issues, working closely with Production and other technical teams to resolve problems.

* Evaluating new ingredients, raw materials and more sustainable alternatives to support innovation and product improvement.

* Working closely with Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Marketing and Production to ensure products are commercially viable, compliant and suitable for manufacture.

* Benchmarking competitor products and identifying opportunities to improve product performance, quality and cost.

* Preparing and maintaining technical documentation including formulation records, test results, specifications and manufacturing information.

* Supporting product registrations, regulatory requirements and quality standards where required.

* Managing multiple development projects at different stages, ensuring agreed timelines, budgets and milestones are achieved.

* Presenting technical findings, development progress and recommendations to key stakeholders.

* Providing technical guidance to laboratory colleagues and supporting the development of best practice within the formulation process.

About You

We are looking for someone with a strong technical background in formulation or product development, ideally within household goods, FMCG, chemicals or a closely related manufacturing environment.

You will ideally have:

* Previous experience working within formulation chemistry, product development or NPD.

* Hands-on laboratory experience including formulation trials, stability testing and performance evaluation.

* Knowledge of raw materials, ingredients and functional additives used within formulated products.

* Experience supporting scale-up from laboratory through to manufacturing.

* The ability to troubleshoot formulation and production issues in a practical and methodical way.

* An understanding of product quality, regulatory requirements and technical documentation.

* Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage several development projects at the same time.

* Good communication skills and the confidence to work cross-functionally with technical and commercial teams.

* A relevant scientific qualification, ideally within Chemistry or a related discipline.

Why Join?

This is a great opportunity to join a growing manufacturer where you will have genuine involvement in product development from concept through to launch.

The role offers a broad mix of hands-on formulation work, innovation, manufacturing support and cross-functional collaboration, making it ideal for someone who enjoys seeing their technical work progress into commercial products
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed