Senior Research Scientist – Digital Technologies

CPI helps make great ideas and inventions a reality. We’re a team of intelligent people using advances in science and technology to solve the biggest global challenges in healthcare and sustainability.

Through our incredible people and innovation infrastructure, we collaborate with our partners in industry, academia, government, and the investment community to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative products.

From health technologies and pharmaceuticals to sustainable food and materials innovations, we turn the entrepreneurial spirit and radical thinking of our people and partners into incredible impact that makes our world a better place.

CPI has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Research Scientist – Digital Technologies to join the established and growing Automation and Digital team within the National Formulation Centre based at NETPark in Sedgefield. 

We are seeking an exceptional candidate with a demonstrated mastery of data science principles and practices they have developed throughout their career. This individual will apply their expertise to address formulation challenges within our key industries: batteries, sustainability, nanotherapeutics, FMCG, and food and feed. As a Senior Research Scientist, the candidate will be recognized as a specialist in their field, providing cutting-edge solutions at a technology team level. They will also actively contribute to and lead initiatives related to business development and organizational improvement. Initial projects that the successful candidate will be leading on will include some in support of the batteries sector. Prior experience in this sector is advantageous, though not essential.

The mission of the Automation and Digital team is to employ cutting-edge digital and physical technologies to drive innovation in the formulation sector. Our goal is to facilitate efficient and high-quality data collection and integrate state-of-the-art modelling and simulation into our work. By combining our digital expertise with industrially relevant knowledge, laboratory automation, high-throughput experimentation, and state-of-the-art process characterization, we offer comprehensive solutions for companies looking to expedite innovation across new and existing product lines.

Reporting to the Team Manager you will provide technical expertise to contribute to the delivery of projects, act as technical lead in small and medium scale projects, and be involved in projects of some complexity. You will be developed in strategically relevant areas of data science, machine learning and/​or process modelling. You will draw upon a range of practical and theoretical knowledge in data science to provide carefully thought-through advice and expertise to the range of stakeholders across our organisation

The team works with companies and organisations of all sizes from global multinationals to 2‑person start-ups with project duration being from 1 month to 4 years. You will be exposed to an immense variety of projects: in scale (anything from 1 month to multi-year projects); in area of application (battery materials, pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods, coatings) and technical scope of machine learning techniques used. 

You will be encouraged to explore new techniques (techniques both new to our organisation, and novel techniques emerging from academia). Training in new techniques — whether self-taught, peer training or through formal courses — will be encouraged.

Some exciting projects the team have recently worked on are:

DIY4U (FMCG): The generation of a fabrication lab combining an automated platform with digitally enabled manufacturing for the fast customisable, at point of purchase, fabrication of FMCG products such as laundry detergent. On this project we supporting development of soft matter modelling and simulating to develop digital twins of the fablab operation.

Narrator (Nanopharma): The application of state-of-the-art digital techniques and automation to explore Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) manufacture for supporting RNA vaccines and therapeutics. Our digital scientists are helping to chart our way intelligently through libraries of chemical data and make strides in the science of LNP manufacture.

Other relevant project technical areas are:

• Working to apply model predictive control to formulation development and manufacture.
• Using clustering and correlation analysis to determine cause-effects or comparisons within datasets (e.g., developing models to predict soap stability, predicting best candidates for new ink materials)
• Using PCA and clustering to glean real-time data from inline process measurements for enhanced process monitoring
• Developing soft sensors based on PLS and neural net models to predict slurry particle size and viscosity
• Implementing Bayesian methods and/​or state-of-the-art methods for optimising the Design of Experiments approach.
• Working with clients to increase their sustainability footprint by effective use of automated data processing and visualisation methods.

The Role

Key tasks in the role will include (but are not limited to the below), please download the job description for full details available on the CPI careers page:

• To plan, undertake, and lead on small to medium digital projects.
• To analyse, interpret, and report the results within agreed timescales and quality standards, and in accordance with project / client requirements.
• To drive business into CPI using our digital capabilitiesand deliver value from it.
• To partner with relevant functions of CPI, the automation team and other formulation teams, to build, advance and make digital capabilities available within the technology centre.

Successful candidates will be educated to a minimum of HNC / Foundation degree (or equivalent) in a Scientific/​Mathematical/​Engineering discipline, with industrial/​academic experience at a senior level and; 

• Will possess technical expertise in data science and evidence of complex technical problem-solving where it is necessary to use own initiative and judgement.
• You be able to demonstrate using your data science skills on scientific projects from your career to date.
• You must hold significant knowledge and experience of coding languages typically used for data science (e.g. python, R, MATLAB).
• You will be able to support/​generate commercial and collaborative business on behalf the automation and digital team.
• You will exhibit professional mastery of principles and practices in data science techniques gained through your career to date in an area of specialism.
• Can demonstrate evidence of building knowledge sharing and communicating with non-specialist colleagues and stakeholders.
• Can provide examples of actively building cross-team collaboration to achieve desired results.

Applications are particularly welcome from candidates who are educated to Masters/​PhD level (or equivalent) with significant and relevant industrial/​academic experience and;

• Have chartered status with a relevant professional institution.
• Are an active member of a professional body, engaging with peers beyond CPI.
• Can demonstrate in-depth technical and theoretical knowledge in mathematics related to data science and is viewed as a specialist in this area by peers.
• Are knowledgeable in alternative scripting / coding languages and programmes to python. 
• Can demonstrate leading teams of people to deliver projects.
• Have prior experience in the batteries sector.

At CPI, we offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, this includes:

• Up to 36 days holiday, including bank holidays – Plus a holiday purchasing scheme
• Generous pension scheme
• Life assurance and accident insurance schemes
• Flexible working
• Learning and Development Opportunities
• Free parking

Find out more about our culture and benefits.

CPI is an organisation based in the UK. Commencement of employment is conditional to demonstrating right to work in the UK, sponsorship may be available.