Scientist​/Senior Scientist – Polymer Formulation & Product Development

Scientist / Senior Scientist – Polymer Formulation & Product Development

Scientist / Senior Scientist – Polymer Formulation & Product Development

Reporting to: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

About Plant Sea

Plant Sea is an award-winning, venture-backed biotechnology company developing high-performance polymer technologies from seaweed to replace fossil-derived plastics.

Our platform is being developed for applications including water‑soluble films, flexible packaging, recyclable paper laminates and other sustainable materials.

Having established our core extraction technology, our focus is now on developing products that consistently meet demanding customer performance requirements and can be successfully manufactured at commercial scale.

This is an exciting opportunity to join Plant Sea at a pivotal stage of growth and make an immediate impact on the development of our next generation of sustainable materials.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Scientist or Senior Scientist with expertise in polymer formulation and product development who can make an immediate impact.

This role is focused on translating scientific understanding into commercially relevant products by developing and optimising bio‑based polymer systems that meet defined technical and customer performance objectives.

Working closely with the CTO and wider R&D team, you will design experimental programmes, solve formulation challenges and deliver robust technical recommendations that accelerate product development.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys applying science to solve real‑world product development challenges within a collaborative, high‑growth technology company.

Key Responsibilities

Polymer Formulation & Product Development

Develop and optimise bio‑based polymer formulations that deliver robust product performance and support commercial manufacturing.

Investigate the relationship between formulation, processing and end‑use performance to develop products that meet customer and manufacturing requirements.

Recommend formulation improvements supported by robust scientific evidence.

Product Development

Contribute technical expertise to the development of scalable formulation and coating processes suitable for commercial manufacture.

Support laboratory, pilot and manufacturing activities by investigating how formulation influences processing behaviour and final product performance.

Work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners to investigate technical challenges and recommend practical solutions.

Experimental Design & Scientific Investigation

Design and execute experimental programmes aligned with agreed project objectives and technical priorities.

Apply Design of Experiments (DoE) and sound scientific methodology where appropriate.

Analyse experimental data and translate findings into clear technical recommendations.

Develop robust experimental methods and maintain high standards of scientific rigour, reproducibility and documentation.

Technical Project Delivery

Lead the scientific delivery of assigned technical work packages across funded and commercial R&D programmes.

Plan and manage technical activities against agreed objectives, milestones and timelines.

Identify technical risks, opportunities and proposed mitigation strategies.

Contribute to technical reports, customer development projects and collaborative research activities.

Innovation & Intellectual Property

Identify opportunities to improve formulations, product performance and manufacturing robustness.

Generate high‑quality technical evidence that supports innovation, intellectual property and future product development.

Contribute to technical documentation supporting patents, funded projects and commercial activities.

Work closely with:

• CTO
• Lab Operations Manager
• Laboratory team
• Manufacturing partners
• Customers
• Universities

Share technical knowledge, contribute to scientific discussions and support the continual development of Plant Sea’s technology platform.

What We’re Looking For

• PhD, or MSc with significant industrial experience, in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Industrial experience…