Process and Safety Chemist

Lantha Gen Bio is a biotech startup building biotechnologies for selective metal binding and recovery from industrial waste streams, including electronic waste and metallurgical residues.

We are looking for a
Process and Safety Chemist
in a highly hands‑on role combining laboratory operations, chemical safety leadership, and applied process R&D for mild metal leaching and biologically compatible recovery workflows.

This role is split approximately:

60% chemical operations, safety, and lab setup

40% applied R&D and protocol development

You will own chemical laboratory infrastructure, risk systems and developing an accessible lab, safe handling of acids, metals, flammables, and leachate streams. You will also design practical, scalable, and biologically compatible metal extraction processes in close collaboration with biochemist team.

£38,000 per annum (Year
1), within a salary band of £38k-42k, with
progression subject to annual SPRIN-D project continuation and performance review
.

Onsite, Citi Labs 4, Manchester. Role will be largely onsite.

Full time; 32 hours

This role is
lower hours over the working week, (Monday-Friday).It is
not a compressed‑hours role
and is designed to support
accessible working patterns, increase productivity,and promote work life balance.

• Set up and manage chemical laboratory infrastructure from day one
• Own COSHH/COOSH forms, risk assessments, chemical inventories, and compliance systems
• Manage consumables and safe storage for:
• Acids and bases
• Metal salts and solutions
• Flammables and solvents
• Industrial leachates and waste streams
• Oversee fume hood operations and safe handling procedures
• Design SOPs for hazardous and semi‑hazardous chemical workflows
• Lead lab safety culture in a fast‑moving startup environment
• Ensuring accessibility is central to lab design to foster an inclusive and diverse lab team

• Design mild, conditioned leaching protocols for metal recovery from:
• Electronic waste
• Develop biologically compatible leachates and liquors suitable for downstream bioprocessing
• Safely handle and characterise metal‑containing liquors
• Work closely with biochemists to:
• Prepare metal broths and assay solutions
• Tune pH, ionic strength, and chemical conditions for protein compatibility
• Support biochemical binding and recovery workflows
• Translate lab‑scale chemical processes toward scalable, low‑toxicity systems

• Strong wet‑lab chemistry background with hands‑on hazardous materials handling
• Experience managing chemical safety systems (COSHH/COOSH, risk assessments, SOPs)
• Practical experience with:
• Acids and corrosives
• Metal salts and metal solutions
• Solvents and flammables
• Experience setting up or running laboratory operations
• Strong experimental discipline and documentation

• Experience with hydrometallurgy or metal leaching processes
• Experience working with industrial waste or complex matrices
• Process optimisation or scale‑up exposure
• Experience working alongside biological or biochemical labs
• Early‑stage startup or fast‑moving R&D environments

• Fully operational chemical lab with robust safety systems in place
• Clear SOPs for hazardous materials, leachates, and metal workflows
• Reproducible mild leaching protocols for key industrial sample types
• Biologically compatible metal liquors supporting downstream assays
• Smooth integration between chemistry operations and bioprocess R&D

• Stage 1:
  Teams call to assess CV and skill fit for the role
• Stage 2:
  Practical/process discussion and scenario‑based safety & R&D planning exercise, present to leadership team on site.

• 5 weeks paid leave per year
• Paid leave for UK bank holidays on normal working days/paid leave during the Company’s Christmas closure
• 3 months full‑pay maternity/paternity leave/shared parental leave
• Fully paid volunteer day with local charity
• Paid leave on your birthday
• Free gym at Manchester Science Park + secure bike storage at Citi labs 4
• £500 learning and development budget: can be used independent online…