Principal Scientist
4 days ago
Stockton-on-Tees
Principal Scientist / Engineer – Battery Materials Permanent | Sedgefield | £49,045 – £65,045 About the Role We are seeking a Principal Scientist / Engineer to join a growing technology team focused on battery materials, process development, and scale-up activities. This is a senior technical leadership role that combines scientific expertise, project delivery, customer engagement, and capability development. You'll act as a recognised subject matter expert, leading complex technical programmes while helping shape future technology strategy and developing capability across the wider team. The role would suit either: • A Principal Scientist with experience operating and developing pilot-scale processes and equipment, or, • A Principal Engineer with strong industrial experience in battery materials, scale-up, commissioning, and process delivery. Beyond technical expertise, we're looking for someone who can lead projects, influence stakeholders, and potentially develop into a people leadership role as the team continues to grow. What You'll Be Responsible For: Technical Leadership • Act as a recognised expert in battery materials and associated technologies, • Provide technical leadership across large-scale and complex R&D programmes, • Translate technical insight into practical solutions and future technology opportunities, • Support the development of technology strategy and future capability plans Project Delivery & Scale-Up • Lead complex technical projects from concept through to delivery, • Oversee pilot-scale activities and process development programmes, • Support commissioning, operation, and optimisation of pilot equipment and development facilities, • Apply technical expertise to solve challenging real-world engineering and scientific problems Innovation & Capability Development • Identify emerging technical developments and market opportunities, • Support the creation of new technologies, services, and applications, • Drive capability building within battery materials and energy storage technologies, • Mentor and develop colleagues across the team and wider organisation Customer & Stakeholder Engagement • Build and maintain relationships with customers, partners, and industry stakeholders, • Represent the organisation externally as a technical expert, • Support customer meetings, collaborative projects, and business development opportunities, • Actively contribute to proposal development and technical bid activities Collaboration & Leadership • Work closely with commercial, technical, and project management teams, • Influence technical direction across multidisciplinary programmes, • Contribute to knowledge sharing and capability development across the organisation, • Support future team growth and, for the right candidate, develop towards broader people leadership responsibilities About You: You are a senior scientist or engineer with strong technical expertise and the ability to lead complex projects in industrial, pilot-scale, or technology development environments. You'll bring: • Significant industrial experience in battery materials, advanced materials, process development, or related technologies, • Experience leading complex technical projects and multidisciplinary activities, • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to deliver innovative solutions, • Experience working in pilot-scale, scale-up, commissioning, or development environments, • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, • The ability to influence and build relationships across technical and commercial teams For Principal Scientists: • Experience operating or developing pilot-scale processes and equipment, • Strong scientific understanding of battery materials, inorganic chemistry, or related fields For Principal Engineers: • Experience commissioning, operating, and improving pilot or production equipment, • Strong understanding of process engineering and industrial scale-up activities Desirable Experience • Battery materials development, • Inorganic chemistry, • Electrochemistry, • Battery recycling technologies, • Pilot plant operations, • Battery tear-down and failure analysis, • Technology scale-up and commercialisation, • Chartered status or progression towards professional accreditation Why Join Us? • Opportunity to play a key role in the development of next-generation battery technologies, • Influence future capability and technology strategy, • Lead high-profile projects with commercial and industrial impact, • Work within a collaborative, innovation-focused environment, • Competitive salary (£49,045 – £65,045) Location & Working Pattern • Based in Sedgefield, • Permanent position, • Hybrid working available depending on project requirements, • Frequent engagement with pilot facilities, project teams, and industry partners The Opportunity This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Scientist or Engineer looking to step into a highly influential technical leadership position. You'll work at the intersection of innovation, scale-up, and commercialisation, helping develop new battery technologies while shaping future capability and mentoring the next generation of technical specialists.