Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) is a cutting-edge Contract Research Organisation (CRO), providing research, analysis and consultancy to the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Whether we are creating new products, validating medicines or solving investigations, we take pride in being a leader in our field, serving clients from across 60 countries.

In 2021, we’ve been recognised as Employer of the Year and Business of the Year at the Thames Valley Business Awards, and in past years have achieved OBN's Best CRO and Women in Business Enlightened Employer.

Enriched by our parent company Mondelēz International, our diverse team includes 23 nationalities from 300 members, creating a family feel as we strive towards our mission of “Science Enhancing Lives”.

The role at Scientist II is to undertake a practical role with various technical supervisory responsibilities within the Pharmaceutical Chemistry laboratory. Play a key role in ensuring that projects are performed and supervised effectively and accurately within agreed timescales and to appropriate quality standards. This role focuses on routine analyses of raw materials and method verification using wet chemistry techniques. Train junior members of the team as required. Client contact and administrative support for laboratory management.

You plan and execute experiments and apply your fundamental understanding to analysis of results. You also plan and implement projects, taking corrective measures when necessary and communicate effectively with others in your functional area and across the organization.

How you will contribute

You will be responsible for performing a range of analyses to ensure that projects are completed effectively, and time, and which meet customers’ expectations. Under supervision, you will set up new analytical methods using existing technology and instruments and plan and implement new experiments, providing data for validation.

You will use your strong teamwork skills to collaborate with others to perform analyses and report work in accordance with analytical standards, ensure effective organization of your assigned workload, and assess the integrity and accuracy of the analytical data generated. Maintaining a clean, tidy and safe working environment is crucial in your role, so you will use the laboratory’s best practices in your work. You will use your knowledge of generic and specific software packages (such as analytical instruments and statistics) and deliver technical reports and presentations to internal groups. In addition, you will train and mentor junior team members in analysis and laboratory programs and provide administrative support for laboratory management.

Responsibilities:

Technical

- Provide high quality customer service at all times by ensuring effective organisation of assigned workload, integrity of analytical data generated and timely/accurate provision of results.

- Perform a range of routine analyses using wet chemistry techniques independently and provide interpretation of the generated results as required. Perform method verfication and design study protocols with support.

- Assist with technical aspects for client proposals for routine pharmacopoeia studies. Provide training and supervise junior staff in routine activities and methods.

- Will be expected to work in different laboratories if the demand is required.

Communication & Influence

- Work as part of an efficient analytical team

- To liase with clients, business development and line management to ensure effective communication of project proposals and results.

- Participate in client and stake holders meetings as required

- Deliver presentations to technical stakeholders and clients as required

- Manage small projects or defined areas of larger projects

- Leadership and supervision

- Plan own workload and plan routine projects for junior staff

- Train junior members of the team in routine methods

What you will bring

A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career:

- Educated to Degree or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline or equivalent relevant experience in a laboratory.

- Good understanding of wet chemistry lab equipment

- Scientific understanding and ability to independently conduct chemical analysis in relevant area

- Accountable, honest, hardworking and able to work efficiently in a team

- Communicating effectively, verbally and in writing, and good organizational development skills

- Flexible and adaptable to meet customer/business requirements. Well organised and capable of working on multiple activities concurrently. Meticulous attention to detail

- Good verbal and written skills with the ability to communicate with client’s and colleagues

- Self-motivated, enthusiastic and quick to learn.

- Maintaining a safe working environment for self and others

Work schedule:

36h Full Time on various shift patterns

Pharmaceutical Wet Chemistry is a pivotal team in RSSL: with exponentially increasing client demand, it’s our biggest area of expansion growing 30% from September 2018 to September 2019. Joining this team will allow you to do truly vital work analysing medicines so they can reach patients that need them. You’ll have opportunity to gain new technical and leadership skills as the laboratory continues going from strength to strength. A Pharmaceutical Analyst executes hands-on wet chemistry analyses such as UV, FTIR, titrations and gravimetric techniques.

You’ll ensure routine and complex pharmaceutical projects are performed promptly and to GMP standards, performing practical bench-work and transcription checking for routine analyses of pharmaceutical raw materials using wet chemistry techniques in accordance with pharmacopoeia or client methods. As required you’ll work with clients to provide technical input into project discussions.