National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

R&D Manager

Belper
6 days ago
Create job alert

CK Group are recruiting for a Research & Development Manager, to join a chemicals manufacturing company, in the construction industry, at their site based in Belper, on a full time permanent basis.

The Company:

Our client is a well-established chemicals manufacturing company, and they now have a vacancy for an experienced R&D Manager, who will assist in the Research and Development of various chemical formulations.

The company offers a salary of £55,000 per annum for this role. Hours are 8.30am - 5pm, Monday - Thursday and 4pm finish on Friday.

Location:

This role is located in Belper, commutable from Derby and surrounding areas.

R&D Manager Role:

Your main duties will be to:

Research, develop, implement and sustain new and existing chemical formulations.
Communicate with and provide technical support to company divisions including R&D, Operations, Sales, Quality, etc.
Project Management with the Supervisor.
Leadership of UK R&D Team.
Your Background:

The ideal candidate for this role will have the following skills and experience:

Degree qualified in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science (or related technical discipline) - essential, Masters or PhD preferred.
Proven industry experience in an R&D Technician, R&D Chemist, Plant Quality Lab Technician or Material Test Operator role in a manufacturing plant, test lab, or R&D facility - essential.
Knowledge of silicone, STPE polymers, epoxy, polysulfide, hot melts, or pressure sensitive adhesives, sealants or coatings is preferred.
Experience of new product formulation research and development.
Operation of analytical, mechanical property and chemical processing equipment.
Polymer manufacturing technologies knowledge such as small-, pilot- or plant-scale processing equipment; plant batch - and/or continuous-manufacturing processes.
Knowledge of polymer materials and compounds including mechanical and physical testing instruments, high temperature physical property test equipment.
Full UK Driving Licence and access to a car. 
Apply:

It is essential that applicants hold entitlement to work in the UK. Please quote job reference (Apply online only) in all correspondence.

If this position isn't suitable but you are looking for a new role, or if you are interested in seeing what opportunities are out there, head over to our LinkedIn page (cka-group) and follow us to see our latest jobs and company news.

INDCH

Related Jobs

View all jobs

R&D Manager

R&D Manager

Metallurgical Engineer, R&D

Metallurgical Engineer, R&D

Metallurgical Engineer, R&D

Metallurgical Engineer, R&D

National AI Awards 2025

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

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

Materials Science Jobs UK 2025: 50 Companies Hiring Now

Bookmark this guide – refreshed every quarter – so you always know who’s really expanding their materials‑science teams. The UK’s advanced‑manufacturing strategy, record cleantech investment & a new wave of fusion & battery‑gigafactory projects mean demand for materials scientists, process engineers, corrosion specialists & characterisation experts is soaring in 2025. Below are 50 organisations that have advertised UK‑based materials‑science vacancies or announced head‑count growth during the past eight weeks. They’re grouped into five quick‑scan categories. For every employer you’ll find: Main UK hub Example live or recent vacancy Why it’s worth a look – tech stack, mission, culture Search any company on MaterialsScienceJobs.co.uk to see real‑time adverts, or set a free alert so fresh openings land straight in your inbox.

Return-to-Work Pathways: Relaunch Your Materials Science Career with Returnships, Flexible & Hybrid Roles

Re-entering the workforce after a career break can feel daunting—especially in a specialised field like materials science. Whether you paused for parenting, caring responsibilities or another life chapter, the UK’s materials science sector now offers a range of return-to-work pathways. From structured returnships to flexible and hybrid roles, these programmes recognise the transferable skills and resilience you’ve gained, pairing you with mentorship, targeted upskilling and supportive networks to ease your transition back. In this guide, you’ll discover how to: Understand the current demand for materials science talent in the UK Leverage your organisational, communication and problem-solving skills in materials contexts Overcome common re-entry challenges with practical solutions Refresh technical knowledge through targeted learning Access returnship and re-entry programmes tailored to materials science Find roles that accommodate family commitments—whether flexible, hybrid or full-time Balance your career relaunch with caring responsibilities Master applications, interviews and networking specific to materials science Learn from inspiring returner success stories Get answers to common questions in our FAQ section Whether you aim to return as a research scientist, process engineer, quality specialist or R&D manager, this article will map out the steps and resources you need to reignite your materials science career.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist for Materials Science Jobs: 10 Tweaks to Elevate Recruiter Engagement

Materials science is at the forefront of innovation—from advanced alloys and polymers to nanomaterials and biomaterials. Recruiters seek candidates proficient in materials characterisation, process development, failure analysis and simulation. With an increasing number of qualified professionals, your LinkedIn profile must be optimised for search relevance and showcase tangible impact in labs and industry. This step-by-step LinkedIn for materials science jobs checklist presents ten practical tweaks to elevate recruiter engagement. Whether you’re a recent graduate specialising in composite materials or a principal scientist leading R&D projects, these targeted optimisations will spotlight your expertise and draw recruiters to your profile.