Beauty and Wellbeing Product Research Scientist

Job Title: Beauty and Wellbeing Product Research Scientist

Business Function: Beauty & Wellbeing R&D

Location: Unilever R&D Port Sunlight (Wirral, UK) and Material Innovation Factory, MIF (Liverpool, UK).

JOB PURPOSE

Are you a formulation scientist looking to help make a difference to billions of people worldwide? Are you a scientist who loves a technical challenge or applying scientific theory to provide understanding and insight? If so, Unilever wants to speak to you. We currently have an opportunity for a Formulation and Colloid Scientist to join our Science and Technology Physical and Chemical Sciences group within the Beauty and Wellbeing business. This group plays a vital role in the research and development of new technologies and products of the future, providing underpinning formulation and processing expertise to Unilever’s rapidly growing FMCG businesses.

Core activities include:
• Working as part of a project team to build formulation understanding and deliver new technology innovations for Beauty and Wellbeing (Hair Care and Skincare).
• Design, formulate and commercially protect new products.
• Proactively support the measurement and characterisation of new scientific innovations that meet consumer needs to grow Unilever’s Beauty and Wellbeing business.
• Work with global R&D teams to transfer product innovations from laboratory to pilot plants.

Research and Development is vital to the growth of Unilever brands, and the successful applicant will have access to a range of world class laboratory and pilot plant facilities, including the Product Innovation Laboratory and the Advanced Manufacturing Centre in Port Sunlight, and the Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool.

We want to hear about how your scientific passions, expertise, and knowledge align with Unilever’s vision. At Unilever we value commercially astute, digitally savvy people who can connect and apply science and technology solutions to satisfy the diverse needs of consumers all over the world.

The role is ideally suited to an energetic, resourceful formulation scientist with excellent people-skills. Evidence of practical formulation skills, digital research methods and continued personal development is a prerequisite for the role.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The role reports to a Research Formulation Manager and includes the following responsibilities:

• Creates ideas and develops solutions to solve technical challenges.
• Designs and manufactures prototype products at lab scale for technical understanding and performance evaluation.
• Provides robust experimental analysis of prototype properties and interactions with substrates through advanced measurement and characterisation to deliver insights for project deliverables.
• Delivers results through themselves and others, including external parties; proposes next steps and contributes to workstream technical strategy.
• Delivers high quality written reports and oral communication to the team and stakeholders.

ALL ABOUT YOU

• MSc or PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Formulation Science or relevant Beauty and Wellbeing Physical or Chemical Sciences area. Or equivalent formulation research experience in Beauty and Wellbeing product innovation.
• Strong practical skills and expertise in the formulation science and characterising complex product microstructures (including polymers, particles, and surfactants) are required. For example, expertise in the measurement and interpretation of product microstructures using complex rheology, SAXS, microscopy, particle size analysis and zeta potential methods.
• Working understanding of data handling, structured experimental design and data-driven optimisation techniques, e.g. DoE, Bayesian optimisation.
• Experience of delivering practical work to deadlines, independently and as part of an agile, flexible team.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal), interpersonal and team working skills are a prerequisite.
• Experience in the delivery of work through wider/global teams and independent third-party organisations would be preferred.

NOTES

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever.

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