Senior Development Technologist

Job Overview

Senior Development Technologist – Full time

United Kingdom, Reading

Job type:
Full time

Job code: RQ105729

Experience level:
Intermediate

Relocation:
This role is eligible for relocation within country

Travel:
Up to 25% travel should be expected with this role

Industry: Research & Technology

Location and posting date details are provided for context and may be updated in the application process.

The successful candidate will be part of a multi-disciplinary team, working on rapid-turnaround research and development programmes to deliver a variety of innovative lubricants, greases, Dielectric, and any other fluids that our motor sport partners need technical support for. The products being developed with provide the highest levels of performance, durability, and sustainability possible. You will be the lubricant authority for your tagged motor sport team and will be in direct contact with engineers and senior leadership from some of the top motor sport teams in the world.

• Act as the primary technical interface for assigned motor sport partners by providing experienced lubricant development support, building strong networks across their technical organisations, and delivering detailed engineering insights directly to OEM teams.
• Handle lubricant development projects end‑to‑end by planning, accomplishing, documenting, and delivering R&D programmes to agreed achievements, budgets, and trackside‑driven timelines.
• Lead the development and optimisation of high‑performance motor sport fluids by formulating, refining, and validating products for engines, transmissions, chassis systems, and motor sport factory applications.
• Design and implement comprehensive fluid test programmes that investigate critical design characteristics including tribology, rheology, lubrication regimes, viscosity behaviour, surface chemistry, thermal stability, and other essential performance properties.
• Collaborate across bp‑Castrol’s technology, operations, and commercial functions by engaging with subject-matter guides, analysts, stewardship, IP, legal, quality, logistics, and external suppliers to ensure seamless delivery of development programmes.
• Coordinate lubricant quality control and product release by reviewing analytical data, approving or rejecting batches, maintaining customer‑specific limits, and driving corrective actions where performance expectations are not met.
• Coordinate with Castrol’s operational teams by preparing blending instructions, validating raw materials, and providing the support required to successfully manufacture motor sport‑specific fluids for use in partners’ factories and at race events.
• Support the Motorsport Operations Team by ensuring all lubricant‑related shipments carry correct documentation and meet regulatory and safety requirements for global movement.
• Mentor and support colleagues within the motor sport technology team by sharing technical knowledge, developing capability, and supplying to a high‑performance, learning‑focused team culture.
• Champion bp‑Castrol’s technical excellence within motor sport by supporting internal and external communications, strengthening technical credibility, and reinforcing the value of motor sport technology to strategic OEM partnerships.

• Degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Chemistry, Tribology, Materials Science, or a closely related technical subject area.
• Demonstrated experience in lubricant, additive, or mobility‑fluid development, including hands‑on formulation, testing, or applied performance analysis.
• Solid knowledge of lubrication fundamentals, including friction, wear mechanisms, viscosity behaviour, surface chemistry, rheology, and lubrication regimes relevant to engines, transmissions, and other automotive systems.
• Confirmed experience delivering technical R&D or product‑development projects, with the ability to plan work, handle timelines, document results, and drive projects through to completion.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experimental design, interpretation of test data, root‑cause investigation, and evidence‑based decision‑making.
• Ability…