Overview

Join to apply for the Chemical Engineer role at the Modern Synthesis.

SALARY BAND: £40,000 - £50,000 (DOE)

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 19TH SEPTEMBER 2025

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and hands-on Chemical Engineer to join the Engineering team to shape the process development of our formulation as we scale up production of our materials. Working closely with team members across our R&D team, you will have a pivotal cross-functional role where you work highly collaboratively across departments. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to make an immediate difference in the scale-up of our production processes in running experiments, trials, tests and validation. You will make improvements to our formulation and process for scale. This will be both using our in-house pilot production capabilities as well as working with external partners.

About Modern Synthesis

Modern Synthesis is a biotech company bringing life to new materials. Founded by ex-Adidas designer Jen Keane and synthetic biologist Dr. Ben Reeve, we work with bacteria to produce an entirely new class of nanocellulose-based materials, which deliver performance without plastics and aesthetics without animal inputs. Designed for applications within fashion and beyond, our 100% biobased materials not only displace animal leathers or plastic-based materials, but also generate entirely new textile possibilities for designers. You can read more about our technology on our website.

We believe that big breakthroughs happen when disparate disciplines, perspectives and ideas collide. As a team of biologists, chemists, designers, engineers, business experts, and microbes, we benefit from these creative collisions on a daily basis. From our strong culture of debate (hot takes always welcome ️) to our bi-weekly deep dives, we intentionally embed collaboration and growth into everything we do.

We hire people, not roles, so we can be flexible on scope. We strongly encourage you to apply if you think you’re qualified for a portion of this role, and can demonstrate a proven ability to take on new skills and challenges.

Responsibilities

• Leading and executing trials to develop production of our formulation using our in-house pilot equipment
• Optimising mixing processes for our unique biobased formulations to ensure manufacturability and performance at scale
• Working with contract manufacturing partners to run process trials for industrial production scales including working with key external partners
• Performing process calculations such as mass & energy balances, flow rates, equipment sizing, and creating process flow diagrams.
• Closely working with the production team to ensure effective technology transfer of processes
• Collaborating with the Science team to guide formulation development that can be scaled up, and Operations on developing relationships with supply chain partners
• Technical report writing, presenting project updates internally, and writing standard operating procedures
• Integrating principles of process safety in process design

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Chemical or Process Engineering, plus a minimum of 2 years of experience in a relevant industry OR a bachelors degree with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience in test & validation, such as process trials, data analysis, and design of experiments, and material testing
• Excellent communication across multiple stakeholders, with proven experience of analysing data, reporting, & presenting results to a wide range of audiences
• Passion for sustainability, bio-materials, fashion tech and/or the circular economy

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience in developing/scaling formulation and mixing processes for biobased products, such as materials, coatings, cosmetics, food & beverages or chemicals
• Working with cellulose based materials, including from paper/coatings industry
• Production and manufacturing skillsets, such as root cause analysis and conducting FMEAs
• Understanding of relevant quality control processes and systems
• Techno-economic analysis, or similar assessments of unit costs
• Relevant Health and Safety qualifications

Benefits

• Company pension scheme
• Private health insurance
• Private dental insurance
• Enhanced parental leave policy
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Flexible working hours
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Headspace subscription
• Access to state-of-the-art testing and analytical facilities
• Individual training budget for professional development, including access to LinkedIn Learning

Our values

• Co-Culture - We Co-Culture Change
• Growth - We Put Growth on a Pedestal
• By Design - We Do It All By Design

MODERN SYNTHESIS ED&I STATEMENT

Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. The greatest ideas stem from a variety of perspectives, and an environment that supports equal representation and opportunities for all.

We are committed to driving global change. We only have one planet we all call home, and we need to work together to protect it. We believe in collaboration and a culture of debate. Disagreements are a chance to refocus our direction. We call this co-culture.

We welcome people of all races, genders, religions, ages, backgrounds, and abilities to our workplace and are committed to ensuring all our employees are safe, heard, represented and provided with every opportunity to thrive.

Our Hiring Process

1. Round 0. Apply online
2. Round 1. 25 minute exploratory phone interview where we’ll dive into your work history and motivations for applying to Modern Synthesis
3. Round 2. 1 hour skills interview where we’ll explore the skills and knowledge you’ll bring to this role. Successful candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation for the final round.
4. Round 3. An on-site panel interview, where you\'ll deliver your presentation, meet with key members of the team and get a tour of our offices in Balham.

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Engineering, Manufacturing, and Science

Industries

• Biotechnology Research, Retail Apparel and Fashion, and Textile Manufacturing