Advanced Materials QAQC Specialist

This is a challenging and rewarding role for a Quality Assurance Chemical Engineer, working closely with production and R&D teams to uphold high standards. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of coating processes, rheology and the effects of material properties on coating performance.

Responsibilities:

• Process Monitoring and Optimisation: Monitor pilot plant operations and analyse process outputs to ensure materials meet required standards.
• Assess the effects of process variables (e.g., temperature, nitrogen flow rates, solvent purity, mixing conditions) on material quality and yield.
• Collaborate with internal process engineers and external contractors to identify and implement improvements that increase efficiency and consistency.
• Conduct experiments and provide calculations that guide process optimisation at scale.
• Quality Assurance & Control (QA/QC): Perform quality control tests on production batches to verify that physical, chemical, and performance characteristics meet defined specifications, providing feedback on batch quality to production teams.
• Review and analyse data to identify product failure (out of spec) and undertake experiments to inform root cause analysis decisions. Advise on how product failure can be rectified or overcome.
• Design, implement and validate analytical QA/QC processes and systems for raw material qualification, intermediary checkpoints, and finished product testing.
• Monitor compliance with internal quality standards and regulatory frameworks by ensuring testing protocols meet industry guidelines and safety requirements.
• Develop and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for QA/QC process design, quality monitoring, and materials handling into scalable validation protocols for production environments, integrating QA/QC processes into chemical process system specifications.
• Oversee external process validation and quality testing with accredited laboratories, ensuring compliance with standards and specifications.
• Evaluate solvent recovery and off-gas emissions (e.g., VOCs) to ensure compliance and system effectiveness.
• Define and maintain specifications for raw materials, intermediates, and final products to ensure consistency and alignment with production requirements.
• Investigate production issues by analysing raw materials, intermediates, and final product samples. Identify root causes of impurities or performance issues and trace them back through the process.
• Translate laboratory findings into practical process specifications that guide production decision-making. Ensure characterisation feedback is integrated into process monitoring and plant operations.
• Support implementation of process modifications to maintain quality, cost-effectiveness, and safety.
• Capture and maintain meticulous records of QA/QC results, experimental data, and process production performance metrics. Analyse data and prepare clear technical reports and recommendations for management, engineering, and R&D teams. Contribute to the development of Intellectual Property (IP) in accordance with company policies. Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality regulations in all activities.
• Support material synthesis activities as required to bridge laboratory characterisation with process engineering outcomes. Contribute to engineering projects within R&D and production teams, where required.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials sciences/engineering or related discipline.
• 3+ years relevant industry experience and proven ability to work across interdisciplinary programs / environments.
• An understanding of coating processes, rheology and the effects of material properties on coating performance.
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