Analysis & R&D Support

• Run routine analysis and characterisation of materials, coatings, formulations and customer samples to established methods, applying a range of physical and chemical techniques.
• Carry out experimental work for R&D and customer projects, including formulation trials, stability and shelf-life studies, and application testing.
• Support method development, verification and transfer under the direction of the Technical Commercial Lead.
• Record data accurately, work up and present results clearly, and contribute to technical reports and customer deliverables.
• Flag out-of-specification and unexpected results promptly, and help investigate the cause and test resolutions.

Laboratory Operations & Quality Administration

• Carry out day-to-day administration of our ISO 9001 Quality Management System, keeping records, logs and controlled documents current.
• Maintain records in Labguru, including sample tracking, batch records and full material traceability.
• Prepare Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) and support the upkeep of Safety Data Sheets (SDS/MSDS) and Technical Data Sheets (TDS).
• Support internal audits, non-conformance reports (NCRs), corrective actions (CAPAs) and QC verification testing.
• Maintain equipment calibration and servicing schedules, contribute to COSHH and laboratory safety, and keep the laboratory clean, organised and working.

Procurement, Stock & Shipping

• Source suppliers, obtain competitive quotes and raise orders for consumables, raw materials, packaging and equipment.
• Manage stock levels and reorder points, process goods-in against orders, and resolve delivery discrepancies.
• Prepare and coordinate outbound shipments, including packing, courier booking, labelling and shipping documentation, with training provided for dangerous goods and export paperwork.
• Keep procurement, stock and shipping records auditable in Monday.com and ApprovalMax, and help track laboratory spend against budget.

Physical Requirements

This is a hands-on laboratory and production role with sustained physical activity. It involves regular manual handling and lifting of materials up to 25 kg, moving drums and containers using trolleys, pallet trucks and drum handlers, operating production and material-handling equipment, and extended periods of standing and active work, all in accordance with our health and safety procedures. If you would like to discuss reasonable adjustments at any stage, tell us and we will accommodate where we can.

Qualifications & Profile

Essential

• BSc or MSc in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Materials Science or a related discipline.
• Practical wet laboratory experience, from your degree, a research project, a placement or previous laboratory work.
• Comfortable with hands-on, physical laboratory and production work, and with following procedures precisely.
• Accurate, disciplined record-keeping and strong attention to detail.
• Well organised and self-starting, able to work accurately from written procedures with limited supervision, and to run bench work alongside laboratory admin.
• Confident user of Microsoft 365 and Google Drive, and comfortable learning platforms such as Monday.com, ApprovalMax and Labguru.
• Clear written and verbal communication, and a willingness to learn and take ownership.

Desirable

• An industrial placement, year in industry, or other manufacturing or commercial laboratory experience.
• Exposure to batch manufacture, batch records or scale-up, or to ISO 9001, GMP or similar quality systems including CoAs, SDS/MSDS and TDS.
• Experience with formulation, colloid or dispersion chemistry, or with coatings and thin films.
• Experience of laboratory procurement, stock control, shipping or COSHH administration. A full UK driving licence is useful.

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days

• Manufacturing batches to approved procedures without day-to-day supervision, with complete and accurate batch records.
• Running our core analytical methods to specification and reporting results in a form colleagues use without rework.
• Holding day-to-day ownership of stock, orders, shipments and equipment schedules, and keeping our ISO 9001 records current so the laboratory is audit-ready at any point.
• Delivering at least one measurable improvement to a process, record or laboratory workflow.

Why Join Metalchemy?

• An unusually broad technician role spanning production, analysis, R&D and laboratory operations, with training from the Technical Commercial Lead.
• Work on technically challenging deep-tech projects with direct commercial impact, backed by Innovate UK and USDA funding.
• See your work feed straight into technologies that multinational customers integrate into their own products, with real ownership from the start in a small team.
• A genuine route into Analytical Chemist, Production, Laboratory Operations or Quality and Technical Compliance roles as the business grows.

Application Process

If you are practical, reliable and well organised, and want to make things as well as measure them, we would like to hear from you. When applying, please briefly describe a situation where you took the initiative to improve a process or deliver a result under pressure: what you did, and what changed as a result.

Metalchemy® is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK; we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.