R&D Senior Associate

Reckitt – Kingston Upon Hull, England, United Kingdom Essential Home With a trusted portfolio of world‑class Air Care, Surface, Laundry and Pest Control products, the Essential Home team’s purpose is to Make a House Your Fuelling this newly formed business and leadership team is a diverse and inclusive culture for all. Together, we’re shaping a team with a founder mentality: that listens and learns, and that is entrepreneurial, agile, and action oriented. Research & Development With our strong portfolio of market‑leading brands, we’re creating an agile, entrepreneurial, and results‑oriented organisation with an emphasis on action, accountability, local ownership and care for each other – all to help our consumers transform their houses into a place they can call Home. In R&D, we’re full of highly skilled Scientists and Engineers, striving to create a range of superior products and solutions across Air Care, Surface, Laundry, and Pest for our consumers in partnership with our customers. About The Role This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast‑paced and dynamic team as a Senior Associate in the global Air Wick R&D team based on our Hull site. Here you’ll lead new formula and fragrance developments for Essential Mist, our fastest growing product format. Your Responsibilities To deliver all R&D technical aspects of complex projects and activities independently, from concept creation and feasibility, through development to enhancement of existing products in market, in line with the defined category strategy. Deep understanding of the format and consumer needs/insights underpinning product development and delivery, resulting in exciting and relevant new ideas and opportunities, product strategy and product cost structure. Risk awareness / problem solving skills and knowledge on how to overcome obstacles by getting support from others. To be accountable for liaison with appropriate technical development, business and supply chain personnel to ensure completion of all activities to plan & successful handover to supply and launch to the market for the assigned projects. Lead and participate in ideation sessions and help to develop the strategy of the leading format and shape its future with the help of the R&D Manager. High business acumen in order to be able to navigate independently through the Operating Model. Develop good and strong networking internally and externally. Excellent communication and presentation skills to ensure clear and to the point communication to higher management including risks, next steps and recommendations. Ensure all paperwork and key documentation is in place based on the corresponding SOPs. Responsible for individual team and their mentorship/coaching. The Experience We're Looking For Experience leading complex technical projects independently, demonstrating end‑to‑end delivery capability. Team leadership and people development. Broad technical expertise and curiosity, with the ability to assess and develop new technologies, methods, and approaches. Experience working with factories and third‑party partners. Ability to turn functional prototypes into finished goods/products. Strong understanding of supply processes, technical challenges, and their impact on product development and ongoing quality. Capability to translate key consumer needs into viable product concepts by leveraging new or existing technologies, scientific principles, or methods. Solid project management knowledge to build technical timelines aligned with operating models and business stage gates. Technical curiosity and problem‑solving mindset for complex challenges. Understanding of qualification requirements for R&D validation and production success criteria. Ability to interpret lab test results using statistical analysis of testing data. Strong negotiating and interpersonal skills. Proven ability to build strong working relationships and networks internally and externally. Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and strong presentation skills. What We Offer With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt’s potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short‑term incentives to recognise, appreciate and reward your delivering outstanding results. You will be rewarded in line with Reckitt’s pay for performance philosophy. Equality We recognise that in real life, great people don’t always “tick all the boxes”. That’s why we hire for potential as well as experience. Even if you don’t meet every point on the job description, if this role and our company feels like a good fit for you, we still want to hear from you. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability or medical condition; colour, ethnicity, race, citizenship, and national origin; religion, faith; pregnancy, family status and caring responsibilities; sexual orientation; sex, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity; protected veteran status; size or any other basis protected by appropriate law. Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level Employment Type Full‑time Job Function Research, Analyst, and Information Technology Industries Consumer Goods Rental #J-18808-Ljbffr