Keracol is looking to recruit an enthusiastic, detail-oriented, natural product chemist to join us as a Senior Scientist. The successful candidate will be play an important role of the daily management of the R&D laboratory, and of the development and scale up of Keracol’s ingredients and formulations’ processes for its commercial applications. The role will cover a wide variety of projects, ranging from small-scale laboratory work to commercial production. This is a permanent position with 3-months’ probation.

Our company

Keracol is a spin-out company from The University of Leeds. Our core value is sustainability with performance. We combine high-end physical science with innovative applications to produce natural and sustainable hair dyes, colour cosmetics, hair care, skin care and sun care products. Our expertise spans organic chemistry, colour chemistry, polymer chemistry, extraction technology, effect assessment, coloration technology, and natural products chemistry.

Keracol develops novel approaches to the extraction of active molecules from plant sources, and fractionating and purifying them for multiple applications, both existing and novel. We use renewable materials and waste materials as sources of extracts, and are able to produce extracts from raw materials that do not compete with land for food crops. Our extracts are formulated in consumer beauty products providing solutions to unmet needs, as there is a huge consumer demand for products containing natural and renewable ingredients. We work with multinational partners on research projects and products for Keracol’s own products.

The ideal candidate

The candidate must hold an appropriate science-based degree, ideally a doctoral degree but a masters with significant industrial experience is also welcomed, preferably in organic and/or natural products chemistry, phytochemistry, or a related discipline. They will have strong communication skills and will manage and contribute to several projects in parallel and prioritise tasks. It is imperative that the candidate is detail-oriented and driven to ensure the quality of all their work. The successful candidate will write reports based on experiments they and team members will carry out and present them in an appropriate manner. Previous work experience is desirable, but other relevant experience will also be taken into account.

Keracol is a growing business and as we expand, we will reward the loyalty of employees with excellent opportunities within the company. The position is offered with an attractive salary, a company shares scheme, and a comfortable work environment. Keracol’s laboratory and office are located in Nexus (nexusleeds.co.uk), a £40m state-of-the-art building located on The University of Leeds campus.

Salary will be £35,000 to £42,000+ dependent on qualifications and experience.

Informal enquiries may be made to: Professor Richard Blackburn, CTO, r.s.blackburn@keracol.co.uk

Closing date 5pm on 18th November 2024, but early applications are welcomed.

Responsible to: Prof. Richard Blackburn, CTO, Keracol Ltd.

Main responsibilities

Provide technical support and scientific research to all Keracol R&D projects.
Lead the scouting and sourcing of materials to enable the projects to be delivered at pace and cost.
Development and optimisation and scale-up of plant material extraction processes.
Conducting all analytical chemistry work required for the analysis of chemicals and materials involved in research projects.
Development, testing, data analysis and scale-up of new processes.
Supporting the R&D team in designing and formulating cosmetic products.
Critically interpret experimental data and identify quality improvement opportunities.
Work with external partners on scale-up of production processes.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

Doctoral degree, or Masters degree with industrial experience in a research environment, in an appropriate science-based degree, preferably in organic chemistry, phytochemistry or a related discipline.
Minimum 3 years’ experience in a R&D laboratory setting.
Clear understanding of laboratory safety procedures, e.g. COSHH and risk assessments.
Creative problem solver.
Solid teamwork and interpersonal skills
Ability to meet deadlines.
Proven ability to communicate results of research effectively, through oral and written media to a high standard.
A self-starter, who is able to work on projects individually.

Desirable

Chemical production and scale-up experience.
Experience in the use of advanced analytical techniques, including HPLC, LC-MS, NMR, UV-Vis, FT-IR, MS.
Potential to be innovative, and generate and deliver on new ideas.
Experience in natural product extraction, purification, separation and characterisation technologies.
Knowledge of sustainability and green chemistry principles.
Experience of working in an industrial environment.
Experience of working in the Personal/Consumer Care sectors.
Business knowledge and acumen within a relevant industry.

Keracol Limited

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