Sustainable Packaging Materials Scientist

Job Title:
Sustainable Packaging Materials Scientist

Location:
Port Sunlight Research Lab

Unilever is committed to creating a waste‑free world through its ambitious Packaging Strategy – We are taking on the toughest challenges to make our vision a reality. We are re‑inventing our product packaging and materials to craft the sustainability journey towards our ambition of circular, waste‑free and net zero future. To achieve these goals, we need completely new packaging materials and technologies that are yet to be discovered.

Our industry‑leading material science program strives to change our industry for good, transforming the traditional packaging sector into a next‑generation technical industry where entrepreneurial passion meets science‑backed innovations. We are looking for a creative, dedicated and ambitious individual with an innovative mindset who shares our passion for the challenge. The One Packaging R&D Centre aims to create a waste‑free, net zero packaging portfolio through a world‑class packaging materials capability with strong partnerships and ecosystems.

The Centre will enable and accelerate the creation of novel packaging solutions to help meet Unilever’s packaging ambitions and completely revolutionise our packaging with a particular focus on our flexibles portfolio. It is the place where future scientific leaders of the business are created. We are a high‑performing, diverse and inclusive team of dynamic entrepreneurial people with a strong scientific background, courage and curiosity, and passion for sustainability and delivery that will have a positive impact on the planet.

• Support the selection, application, and optimisation of inks, coatings, and overprint varnishes on flexible substrates to meet performance and sustainability requirements.
• Assess and help interpret the physical, chemical, and surface properties of fibre based and film substrates to ensure compatibility with coatings and printing solutions.
• Contribute to coating and ink evaluation by applying established analytical and characterisation approaches to assess adhesion, barrier behaviour, durability, and overall performance.
• Provide day‑to‑day technical support to the team, including sample preparation, test execution, data collection, and basic troubleshooting.
• Support scale up activities from lab to pilot trials by preparing materials, assisting with trial execution, resolving routine issues, and documenting processing conditions.
• Contribute to experimental design and project planning, helping to generate data‑driven insights, hypotheses, and recommendations that advance program objectives and support claims or IP development.
• Maintain high quality documentation, contribute to SOP creation, ensure reliable testing practices, and help prepare data packages for internal reviews, sustainability claims, or IP filings.
• Engage with external partners and suppliers to gather information or samples and support the evaluation of new technologies, while fostering strong relationships across the internal R&D community.
• Plan and execute work with increasing autonomy, collaborating with program leaders to deliver activities aligned with project milestones.
• Work with digital experts and use digital tools to support material selection, data interpretation, and process optimisation.

We are looking for someone that shares our passion for innovation, applied material science and sustainability, and the drive to take our paper packaging portfolio to the next level. Our Packaging strategy is not just about understanding and developing new materials – it’s about making smart decisions on how, when, and where to use them. You will be part of a multi‑disciplinary project team ethos where everybody contributes to achieving the same goal.

• A higher education qualification in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Packaging Science, Printing & Coating Technology, Paper Technology, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience in industrially relevant materials development and/or characterisation.
• Working knowledge of coatings, inks, and overprint varnishes for fibre…