Development Chemist

Here at Alexander Steele Recruitment we continue to work with an established FMCG manufacturer that develops and produces a wide range of consumer household products. Due to continued growth within their product development function, they are looking to recruit a Development Chemist to join their NPD team. This is a hands-on role combining formulation development, laboratory work, innovation and manufacturing support. You will be involved in taking products from initial concept through testing, scale-up and commercialisation, while also improving existing formulations and supporting wider technical projects. The Role As Development Chemist, you will be responsible for: Developing and improving formulations across a range of household goods.Planning and carrying out laboratory trials, stability testing, compatibility assessments and product performance evaluations.Supporting the transfer of new formulations from laboratory development through pilot trials and into full-scale manufacturing.Investigating formulation, raw material and manufacturing issues, working closely with Production and other technical teams to resolve problems.Evaluating new ingredients, raw materials and more sustainable alternatives to support innovation and product improvement.Working closely with Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Marketing and Production to ensure products are commercially viable, compliant and suitable for manufacture.Benchmarking competitor products and identifying opportunities to improve product performance, quality and cost.Preparing and maintaining technical documentation including formulation records, test results, specifications and manufacturing information.Supporting product registrations, regulatory requirements and quality standards where required.Managing multiple development projects at different stages, ensuring agreed timelines, budgets and milestones are achieved.Presenting technical findings, development progress and recommendations to key stakeholders.Providing technical guidance to laboratory colleagues and supporting the development of best practice within the formulation process. About You We are looking for someone with a strong technical background in formulation or product development, ideally within household goods, FMCG, chemicals or a closely related manufacturing environment. You will ideally have: Previous experience working within formulation chemistry, product development or NPD.Hands-on laboratory experience including formulation trials, stability testing and performance evaluation.Knowledge of raw materials, ingredients and functional additives used within formulated products.Experience supporting scale-up from laboratory through to manufacturing.The ability to troubleshoot formulation and production issues in a practical and methodical way.An understanding of product quality, regulatory requirements and technical documentation.Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage several development projects at the same time.Good communication skills and the confidence to work cross-functionally with technical and commercial teams.A relevant scientific qualification, ideally within Chemistry or a related discipline. Why Join? This is a great opportunity to join a growing manufacturer where you will have genuine involvement in product development from concept through to launch. The role offers a broad mix of hands-on formulation work, innovation, manufacturing support and cross-functional collaboration, making it ideal for someone who enjoys seeing their technical work progress into commercial products.