Senior Chemist

INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT & HR EXPERTS ACROSS THE PLASTICS, PACKAGING, SPECIALITY CHEMICALS, LIFE SCIENCES, BIOPOLYMER, FOOD ADDITIVES & INGREDIENTS, ENERGY AND RECYCLING SECTORS SINCE 1975.

 

Based in Bordeaux Metropolitan Area (On-site)

 

We are recruiting for a Senior Chemist to join an R&D team and drive innovation in the
development of advanced materials.
In this role, you will lead projects from concept through scale-up (30 litres), mentor junior staff, and collaborate cross-functionally to translate scientific insights into commercial products.

Responsibilities:

 

As Senior Chemist, you will:

 

Research and Development Leadership:

• Initiate and direct R&D initiatives, formulating and conducting experiments to develop innovative material compositions and chemical processes.
• Manage project schedules, financial resources, and deliverables to guarantee timely completion of objectives.
• Analyze results, interpret data, and refine experimental approaches to enhance performance and scalability.

 

Mentorship and Collaboration:

• Provide technical mentoring and instruction to entry-level chemists and laboratory personnel.
• Encourage teamwork among engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance departments to facilitate effective technology transfer.
• Present research outcomes and progress updates to internal teams, and where suitable, to external partners or research institutions.

 

Compliance and Safety Adherence:

• Strictly follow safety regulations, standard operational procedures (SOPs), and regulatory requirements (REACH, CLP, etc.).
• Create and assess technical documentation, risk evaluations, and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
• Consistently evaluate laboratory practices and recommend enhancements to improve effectiveness and safety.

 

Innovation and Process Enhancement:

• Stay abreast of the latest scientific literature, patents, and emerging trends in polymer chemistry, catalysis, and materials science.
• Suggest novel synthetic pathways, characterization methodologies, or process innovations.
• Work with R&D leadership to determine and prioritize strategic research goals.

 

Qualifications:

• Time served as an Industrial Polymer Chemist or a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Chemistry or Polymer Science, Materials Science.

 

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of industrial or applied R&D experience, preferably in specialty chemicals, advanced materials, or polymers.
• Demonstrated track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams and delivering projects on schedule.
• Hands-on experience with scale-up: translating lab-scale chemistries to pilot or small-scale production.

 

Technical Expertise:

• Strong background in organic/polymer synthesis, catalyst development, or formulation science.
• Proficiency with analytical characterization techniques (e.g., NMR, GPC, DSC, TGA, FTIR).
• Familiarity with process development, reaction engineering, and scale-up considerations.

 

Regulatory & Safety Knowledge:

• Solid understanding of chemical safety, hazard identification, and waste-management protocols.
• Experience in preparing regulatory documentation and filing for regulatory approvals.

 

Skills:

Scientific & Technical Skills:

• Ability to design experiments with proper controls, analyze complex data sets, and draw actionable conclusions.
• Proficiency in interpreting spectral and thermal data to characterize molecular structure and performance.
• Competence with design of experiments (DoE) software and statistical analysis tools.

 

Project Management:

• Excellent organizational skills; proven ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Comfortable defining project scope, milestones, budgets, and risk-mitigation strategies.
• Communication & Leadership:
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English (French proficiency a plus).
• Experience presenting technical results to both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Ability to mentor junior team members, fostering a collaborative, safety-focused laboratory culture.

 

Interpersonal & Collaborative:

• Aptitude for interdisciplinary teamwork—willingness to work closely with engineers, regulatory specialists, and production staff.
• High level of initiative, self-motivation, and adaptability in a fast-paced startup-like environment.

 

 

For reasons of better legibility, the simultaneous use of the language forms male, female and diverse (f/m/d) is avoided. All personal designations apply equally to all genders.

For EU roles, candidates must be eligible to work and live in the EU. Proof of eligibility will be required with your application.

 

 

Throughout 2025, you can meet with Listgrove at the following exhibitions:
Packaging Innovations, JEC World, European Coatings Show, Kunststoffenbeurs, K2025

Meet us at Plastics Live Ireland in Dublin, 26-27 November, Stand B7