Job Title: Scientist – Human Safety
Location: Colworth R&D, Sharnbrook UK – Hybrid
Job Purpose
At Unilever, we are committed to developing safe and sustainable products for our consumers. As a Human Safety Scientist within our Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Sciences (SERS) team, you will provide scientific expertise to help assure the safety of Unilever ingredients for both consumers and the workers who make our products. You will be part of a supportive team of safety scientists, continue to develop your own expertise while contributing to the development of others through informal mentoring, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem‑solving. You will work within multidisciplinary teams, including biologists, bioinformaticians, computational chemists, and mathematical modellers, to apply novel and mechanistic approaches to exposure and safety assessment.
You will play a key role in bringing robust, cutting‑edge science into our safety assessments, ensuring they meet both current and future business needs. You will work alongside some of the industry’s most respected scientists, learn new risk assessment approaches, grow as a professional and enjoy opportunities to publish and present. The role is based in the dynamic environment of the SERS team at Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, near Bedford, offering strong development and career opportunities within a successful global company.
Main Responsibilities
* Assess human safety risks associated with ingredients with an emphasis on applying novel (non‑animal) approaches.
* Deliver transparent, well‑documented, exposure‑based risk assessments to enable robust decision‑making. This will include clearly communicating the outcomes of these risk assessments, providing input to broader communication to maintain trust in the safe use of Unilever products.
* Contribute to the evolution of our approach to exposure‑driven risk assessment including working with external groups.
* Build an understanding of the wider issues surrounding the use of ingredients and products.
* Be part of a team making an impact internally & externally on the way in which safety risk assessments are conducted and communicated now and in the future.
* Work closely with other SERS and Unilever scientists, as well as external collaborators, to provide expert scientific advice on new scientific approaches to non‑animal safety assessment.
* Promote the acceptance and adoption of new scientific approaches external to Unilever through interactions with key opinion formers with international reputation and influence.
All About You
You will be able to work effectively and with impact in cross‑disciplinary teams and in multicultural environments, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability within a fast‑changing business environment.
Essential Experience and Skills
* A degree (BSc, MSc, or equivalent) in Toxicology or a related scientific discipline relevant to assessing the safety of human chemical exposure.
* Experience of toxicology/consumer safety risk assessment and its application in an industrial context (FMCG, healthcare setting).
* Awareness of novel, non‑animal approaches to safety assessment and their potential application for decision‑making.
* Excellent written & verbal communication skills including ability to convey scientific subject matter in a simple manner.
* Evidence of a creative, problem‑solving mindset.
* A high level of self‑motivation, with a proven track record of collaborating effectively in interdisciplinary teams.
* Ability to work with scientists from other disciplines as part of multidisciplinary teams.
* Strong team‑working skills, with the ability to contribute effectively both as a leader and as a team member.
Desirable Experience and Skills
* Post‑graduate experience or a higher degree/qualification (e.g., PhD).
* Knowledge/Experience of product safety regulations.
* Project leadership experience.
* Understanding of computational approaches applied to consumer safety risk assessment/Toxicology.
Location
Colworth Science Park is a vibrant scientific community with a strong academic and technical population of PhDs, professors, and early‑career scientists. The site offers a range of facilities, including a restaurant, gym, and a nursery, and supports an active social and wellbeing culture. Employees can take part in a variety of social and recreational activities, such as lunchtime walking or running groups, set within the surrounding countryside. Colworth is well connected, with London and its many attractions reachable in approximately 40 minutes by train from Bedford.
About SERS
We want consumers to be confident that our products are safe for them and their families, and better for the environment. The scientists in Unilever’s Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS) group play a key role in ensuring that our products are safe, and our business is environmentally sustainable. SERS’s world‑class reputation for safety and sustainability science plays a key role in Unilever achieving its purpose, by working across the business to build safety and environmental sustainability into everything we do; find out how at SERS.unilever.com.
What We Offer
Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment. Whilst the role is advertised on a full‑time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family‑friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.
Diversity at Unilever
Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever‑changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience. Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!
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