Formulation Scientist

At Notpla we're at the leading edge of sustainable innovation, creating natural alternatives to single-use plastic packaging that's carefully engineered to create a healthier planet. Founded on the belief that nature knows best, we're an innovative, ideas and action-oriented scale-up who develop and manufacture uncompromisingly natural packaging solutions from seaweed and plants.

As a Formulation Scientist, you'll be joining an innovative, fast moving and agile Formulation & Process team that pride themselves on their pivotal research and development.

This is an exciting time to join Notpla, right on the brink of a record-breaking year for revenue and on-track for major growth in the next 18-24 months. Bolstering confidence in our financial performance, we have just secured a Series A+ fundraise for £20million, enabling us to scale our growth and environmental impact faster than ever. 

Led by strong values, all Notpla employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their domain, giving a high level of autonomy. Our aim is to build an inspiring culture that's reflected in our working policies, environment and employees.

Besides offering exciting roles and a great working environment, Notpla provides competitive salaries, the potential for EMI Share Options, a zero-carbon pension scheme, discounts with local businesses, and subsidised social activities. Our office first hybrid working policy allows you to work in the manner that maximises your productivity, while still creating a vibrant and collegiate work environment. We are a social business with regular clubs and events, and we are proud of how our diverse workplace has created a community that is all pushing towards the common goal of making plastic disappear.

The Formulation Scientist will play a critical role in developing and optimising seaweed-based formulations, ensuring they meet performance requirements and can be successfully scaled up for commercial use. The Formulation Scientist will work closely with our Paper & Coatings Engineers, collaborating on research, formulation, and process improvements. This is an exciting opportunity to drive impactful R&D work for commercial projects. 

We are looking for a hands-on and enthusiastic Formulation Scientist with a strong background in analytical chemistry and material characterisation techniques. You will need to have working knowledge of natural polymer coatings, surface treatments and film-forming properties. You will also need to have hands-on experience with natural polymer formulations (e.g., starches, proteins, cellulose, alginates). As well as the above, your other day to day responsibilities would include:

1. Formulation Development & Optimisation

• Design and optimise seaweed-based coatings and paper formulations, balancing key properties such as adhesion, flexibility, barrier performance, and biodegradability.

• Conduct rheology studies and material characterisation to fine-tune formulations for specific applications.

• Identify and integrate novel raw materials to enhance performance and sustainability.

• Work on material compatibility studies, ensuring formulations meet required industrial and regulatory standards.

• Develop prototype samples and conduct performance testing under real-world conditions.

2. Analytical Chemistry & Material Characterisation

• Develop and validate analytical test methods to ensure consistency and reproducibility in formulation performance.

• Assess film-forming properties, barrier properties, and mechanical performance of coatings and substrates.

• Interpret data and provide insights to refine formulations based on performance outcomes.

3. Scale Up & Trials

• Work closely with the Paper and Coating engineers to transition lab-scale formulations into pilot-scale and commercial-scale production.

• Participate in pilot trials and factory production runs, ensuring formulations perform as expected in real-world conditions.

• Troubleshoot formulation issues that arise during scale-up, working collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

• Document all scale-up findings, optimising processes for efficiency and reproducibility.

4. Project Management

• Develop and maintain project timelines, coordinating with internal teams and external partners to ensure smooth execution.

• Communicate project progress effectively with internal stakeholders, providing clear updates and risk assessments.

5. Cross Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the entire technical team, ensuring formulation strategies align with process capabilities.

• Translate complex scientific findings into clear, actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.

6. Quality Assurance & Documentation

• Ensure formulations meet regulatory and industrial standards, documenting all formulation parameters and testing results.

• Maintain detailed formulation records, creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure reproducibility.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's (with industry experience), or PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 2+ years of industry experience in coatings, paper-based materials, or polymer formulation.

• Strong background in analytical chemistry and material characterisation techniques.

• Working knowledge of natural polymer coatings, surface treatments, and film-forming properties.

• Hands-on experience with natural polymer formulations (e.g., starches, proteins, cellulose, alginates).

• Knowledge of barrier coatings, adhesion technologies, and functional additives.

• Working knowledge of coating processes and paper production.

£30,000 - £40,000 + EMI Share Options