Coating Chemist (Pulpex Ltd)

We are seeking an industrially experienced, agile and motivated Coating Chemist to join our R&D team. As part of a multi-disciplinary R&D engineering and science team, you will be responsible for developing, formulating, and testing high performance coatings to deliver enhanced performance and help drive the transition to sustainable packaging at scale.

This is an opportunity to deliver impact in a quickly evolving field of Science. You will be encouraged to come up with new and innovative ideas, share and apply knowledge and skills to support existing teams and projects. You will be part of the team that delivers a real answer to enduring issues in the environment.

ROLE:

• Develop and optimise new coating formulations to deliver specific performance criteria such as barrier performance, durability and appearance.
• Develop and optimise coating for application processes such as spraying to ensure uniform coverage and adhesion.
• Work within the barrier chemistry team to characterise coating properties, using a variety of analytical techniques and instrumentation.
• Optimisation of formulations for deployment onto Pulpex Packaging by the Industrialisation team.
• Maintain detailed records of formulation recipes, test results, and process parameters. Prepare technical reports, presentations, and documentation for internal use and external stakeholders.
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams from R&D through to Production, both internally at Pulpex and externally with Academic, Supply Chain and Commercial partners.
• Identify and research new methods to support critical research areas.

CANDIDATE:

• Master's Degree in relevant scientific discipline (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Material Science) with minimum 2 years of post-graduate experience working in an industrial setting.
• A keen eye for detail and problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to take the initiative and dictate own workload while in busier periods.
• Take pride in the quality of your work.
• Ability to work and communicate well as part of a team positively and respectfully (at Pulpex, we are all very passionate about what we do and what we are working towards together. As such, no one person is more important or valuable than the team.
• Always be optimistic about the work at hand; no problem is too big or small that it can’t be overcome.
• A willingness to learn and develop one’s skillset; and to share existing skills and knowledge with others.
• Experience in packaging industry is an advantage.

PULPEX’S TEAM VALUES:

• Embraces Change - We challenge the status quo. At Pulpex we embrace change with open arms and help others to embrace it too.
• Proud Of Our Efforts - We’re determined to make a difference. At Pulpex our work is not easy. But we love what we do and enjoy ourselves doing it.
• People First - We're a team. At Pulpex we support and keep each other safe and whole. Always.
• Networked To Succeed - We’re connected. At Pulpex we all know someone who knows someone that can help solve a challenge fast.
• Learning Daily - We’re doing something new. At Pulpex we never fail; we’re learning every day. Again and again and again.
• Focused On The Goal - We’re in it for the future. At Pulpex we use science to leave the world in a better state than we inherited it.

DESIRABLE BUT NOT ESSENTIAL:

• Experience in coating fibre-based or fibre-formed substrates.
• Good understanding of polymer chemistry, surface chemistry, and coatings formulation principles.
• Proficient in use and interpretation of analytical methods for chemical characterisations such as: Contact angle goniometry, Rheology, FTIR, SEM, optical microscopy.
• Experience of coating optimisation through design of experiments (DoE).