Researcher - Analytical Chemist

LGC Group; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000

Job description

Company Description

About The National Measurement Laboratory

Measurement matters, as it affects everything from food and drink to medicine.

At the NML we have a strong heritage in measurement science. We are the UK's designated institute for chemical and biological measurement, and the home of the Government Chemist.

The Government Chemist role was created in 1909 and now it oversees the statutory function of referee analyst within the UK, resolving disputes over analytical measurements, particularly in relation to food regulatory enforcement.

The UK was one of the pioneers within the global measurement community to recognise the need to address the new and developing challenges of measurement across chemistry and biology. In 1988, the then Government Chemist launched the first UK programme to develop a chemical and bio-measurement infrastructure and the NML was born.

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Job Description

Job Purpose

The Purity & Calibration Team develops reference methodology and delivers high accuracy calibration and measurement services in support of LGC's role as a National Measurement Laboratory (NML) and the UK's designated institute for chemical and bio-analytical measurements. In addition, the team undertakes contract research and development projects for a range of customers in both the public and private sectors. Our work addresses fundamental and emerging measurement challenges, helping to foster innovation and promoting productivity and economic growth.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Purity & Calibration Team as a Researcher. The main function of the role will be to lead, develop and support approaches to deliver measurements for the quantification and characterisation of small organic molecules in support of the UK's industrial and societal needs. This includes characterisation of the NML reference materials, purity assignment of organic compounds in simple to complex matrices, and structural confirmation and characterisation of organic compounds in pharmaceutical, forensics and consumer products. The Purity & Calibration Team is equipped with NMR spectrometers (high-field and benchtop), HPLC-DAD, GC-FID, Karl Fischer, TGA-MS and DSC instrumentation to cover a wide range of separation techniques and thermal analysis to deliver state-of-the-art analytical methodology capability.

This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic scientist with experience in analytical chemistry and characterisation of organic compounds. The role requires an individual who will contribute to the successful delivery of research projects, support short-term commercial services and assist with the maintenance of ISO 17025 calibration facilities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Provide technical leadership and mentoring.
2. Lead on development, planning and execution of experimental work on multiple projects.
3. Familiarity and application of orthogonal analytical methods: NMR, HPLC/UPLC-UV, GC-FID, Karl Fischer, DSC and TGA analysis for purity determination of organic compounds.
4. Work closely with customers (internal and external) to understand and fulfil their analytical requirements with the appropriate level of quality and timeliness.
5. Maintain records in accordance with ISO 17025 principles and company quality procedures. Assist in the maintenance, performance and renewal of laboratory instruments and of the ISO 17025 calibration facilities to deliver high accuracy measurement services.
6. Contribute scientifically to the preparation of research tenders.
7. Provide presentations, training and advice to others to share learnings and promote increased scientific and strategic understanding around NMR methods.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Experience and Technical Skills

Ideally, the successful candidate will have a PhD degree, and/or relevant industrial experience in one of the disciplines: Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Forensic Science or NMR spectroscopy. Training, as appropriate, will be provided on instrumentation for this role.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following attributes:

1. Enthusiastic and innovative scientist with a strong desire to develop their own technical skill set and support the development and delivery of the team's research portfolio.
2. Experience in operation and maintenance of a variety of analytical techniques, NMR, HPLC/UPLC-UV, GC-FID, Karl Fischer, DSC and TGA-MS.
3. Understanding of the fundamentals of organic chemistry and compound characterisation.
4. A rational approach to problem solving with strong attention to detail and ability to accurately record observations, data and conclusions during experimental investigations.
5. Is a positive advocate for new technology and process improvements.
6. Promotes achievements with reports, presentations and scientific publications.
7. Proficient communicator who can engage effectively with stakeholders.

The job holder will be able to demonstrate the following behaviours in line with LGC's values:

Passion, Curiosity, Integrity, Brilliance, Respect

Additional Information

Our Benefits

25 days annual leave, generous pension plan, season ticket loans, buy/sell holiday scheme, life assurance, retail discounts and more.