Synthetic Chemist

Morson Talent
Monkswood, Gwent
11 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Chemist

Professional Technical Llantrisant, Mid Glamorgan, United Kingdom
£43,000 – £48,000 pa On-site

Resin Chemist

Whitehall Recruitment LTD Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BL, United Kingdom
£40,000 – £50,000 pa On-site

Technical Sales Manager

Millbank Higher Walton, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
On-site
Posted
9 Jul 2025 (11 months ago)

BAE Systems Land UK have an opportunity for a Synthetic Chemistry to join a new and developing RnD chemistry team. Working as part of the Technology team, the selected candidate will support new technology development projects for future materials and support product and process development in small and medium volume environments. The role will ensure that our products meet exacting quality and performance requirements.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the design and synthesis of precursors for polymers systems to support an on-going product development. Additional responsibilities include supporting the development of in-house synthetic chemistry facilities and methodologies. The role will be based on an approximate 50:50 split of practical and desk-based work and will vary week to week based on the demands of each project. The role may also involve assisting with non-synthesis projects and/or day-to-day Team activities, if and when required by the business.

Your main responsibilities as a Synthetic Chemist will involve:
• Following current synthetic routes to synthesise precursors for polymer systems
• Providing knowledge and practical expertise to develop synthetic routes to known / novel organic compounds
• Collaborating with other Scientists / Engineers to develop routes to scale up synthetic chemistry processes
• Maintaining and improving (where able) a synthetic chemistry capability onsite that is fit for the purpose of responding to current and future needs
• Ensuring all synthesis activities are carried out safely and in accordance with business processes and in compliance with legislation
• Compiling and maintaining process and basis of safety documentation
• Providing support with other processes carried out within the team as and when required

Skills

• Experience in the analysis of a variety of organic compounds using NMR, Mass Spectrometry, FT-IR and HPLC.
• Experience in working with and maintenance of inert atmosphere synthetic techniques, i.e. Schlenk lines and/or gloveboxes
• Experience in working with hazardous chemicals
• Ability to work within a close-knit team as well as independently, planning and managing own workload to safely deliver project objectives
• Ability to work to and compile stringent safety documentation
• Strong communication skills with ability to present data in a clear, concise manner and to produce scientific documents to a high standard

Fulltime onsite, Mon to Thur 07:15- 17:00, No Fridays unless OT requested by the business.
Start on BPSS with CTC in flight
UK Eyes only

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Materials Science Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise materials science jobs UK in 2026: specialist boards, academic channels and societies that reach physicists, chemists and metallurgists. The candidate pool spans physicists, chemists, metallurgists, ceramicists, polymer scientists and computational materials researchers — a highly multidisciplinary community with distinct professional identities, academic networks and job search behaviours. The strongest candidates are typically embedded in university research groups, national laboratories, government-funded programmes or deep tech R&D teams, and move between roles through specialist academic channels, professional societies and sector-specific networks rather than mainstream job boards. This guide, published by MaterialsScienceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise materials science roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Materials Science Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

Materials Science Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the trends shaping UK materials science hiring over the next three years — from batteries to composites. Materials science sits at the foundation of almost every technology transition that matters right now. The batteries powering the electric vehicle revolution, the semiconductors enabling artificial intelligence, the lightweight composites reducing aircraft emissions, the biomaterials replacing damaged human tissue, the thin films making solar cells more efficient — none of these advances are possible without breakthroughs in the science and engineering of materials. And breakthroughs in materials science require people. The UK materials science jobs market has historically been one of the quieter corners of the STEM hiring landscape — important, deeply technical, and consistently in demand, but rarely the subject of the breathless coverage that AI or blockchain attract. That relative obscurity is beginning to change. The convergence of the net zero transition, the semiconductor sovereignty agenda, the advanced manufacturing investment wave, and the growing role of computational and AI-driven materials discovery is elevating materials science to a strategic priority for governments, investors, and employers in a way that is directly reshaping the jobs market. For job seekers, this shift represents a genuine opportunity — but one that rewards those who understand the specific technical, commercial, and policy dynamics driving materials science hiring rather than those who simply arrive with a materials science degree and expect the market to do the rest. The roles being created now are more interdisciplinary, more computationally demanding, and more commercially oriented than the materials science jobs of even three years ago. This article breaks down what the UK materials science jobs market is likely to look like through to 2028 — covering the titles emerging right now, the technologies driving employer demand, the skills that will matter most, and how to position your career at the leading edge of a discipline that has never been more consequential.

How Many Materials Science Tools Do You Need to Know to Get a Materials Science Job?

Materials science tools for UK materials jobs in 2026: how many characterisation, simulation (DFT, FEA), microscopy and lab analytics tools you really need on your CV. If you’re navigating the materials science job market, it can feel like the list of tools, techniques and platforms you should learn grows every week. One job advert mentions electron microscopy, another mentions X-ray diffraction, yet another wants experience with thermal analysis, spectroscopy, simulation software, statistical packages, manufacturing QA systems and more. With so many specialised methods and instruments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — and to start thinking you need to know everything just to be considered. Here’s the honest truth most materials science hiring managers won’t tell you directly: 👉 They don’t hire you because you know every piece of equipment or software. They hire you because you can use the tools you do know to answer real questions, make reliable measurements and communicate results clearly. Tools are essential — no question — but they are secondary to problem-solving ability, scientific reasoning and experimental rigour. So the real question is: how many materials science tools do you actually need to know to get a job? The precise number depends on the role you want, but for most job seekers the answer is far fewer than you think. This article breaks down what employers really value, which tools are core, which are role-specific, and how to focus your learning so your CV and interviews stand out for the right reasons.