Placement Student — Chemical Engineering

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 available for a Chemical Engineering student to join us at the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility based at Wilton, Redcar. 

You will have the opportunity to support various crucial and exciting projects — through the development of innovative biotechnological approaches and processes you could help CPI to solve some of the biggest challenges the industry face. 

You will have the opportunity to be involved in many varied and exciting projects (from lab scale right through to pilot scale) using industrial chemical or bioprocesses to help make products which are more sustainable and environmentally responsible. You will gain in depth exposure to Chemical Engineering at work!

Your contributions in this role will help CPI support the UK in achieving its Net Zero targets and make the world a healthier place! 

Some exciting projects the team have worked on are:

• FastAceJet- Exploring novel methods to produce sustainable aviation fuel
• Azotic Technologies — Developing a natural nitrogen-fixation technology for agriculture
• Calysta — fish-feed collaboration hits four-tonne mark
• Stuff4life — Turning rags to riches through repolymerisation

You can also get a feel for what life is like at CPI by watching the short YouTube video below from Lara, one of our current apprentices at the National Industrial Biotechnology centre: 

• Apprenticeships at CPI | Why did Lara choose a degree apprenticeship over a university degree?

The role

As a Chemical Engineering student in CPI’s Process Safety and Engineering team, you will be supporting the development of innovative processes which aim to solve some of the biggest challenges in our time. 

We work on many different types of projects, from lab scale to pilot scale, using industrial chemical and bioprocesses to make products which are more sustainable, environmentally responsible, and responsive to the demands of society for a healthier world. 

We also use our modelling and simulation capabilities to support projects across CPI, specifically using multiphysics modelling such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to answer questions that are difficult or impossible to address by experiments alone. 

You will have the opportunity to apply process engineering principles in a wide variety of areas, including development of engineering calculations, support of process design and development, scale-up, plant modification and safety studies. 

You will also apply modelling techniques to investigate the economic feasibility of processes and identify areas for further optimisation. You will gain first-hand experience of working in multidisciplinary teams to support commercial and internal projects.

Candidates will be studying towards a Degree in Chemical Engineering or Biochemical Engineering.

Applicants should be enthusiastic, have effective interpersonal skills and be willing to learn to gain hands on/​practical experience. The ideal candidate will be committed to, and actively seek opportunities to develop themselves within this new and exciting role. 

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.

Please note this is a 12-month fixed-term position, commencing July 2025 and is ineligible for CPI’s refer a friend scheme.

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.