Company Description Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for waterproofing, bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. Its more than 27,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 11.2 billion in 2023. About Corporate R&D The corporate research & development team in Preston forms one of 18 Global Technology Centres within Sika. The team has global responsibility for the company's market leading high performance polyurethane liquid membrane technologies. There is a strong focus towards developing sustainable coating solutions and delivering innovation to the roofing, waterproofing, and refurbishment markets. What's In it for You? The Opportunity: It's a great platform for building product formulation knowledge and learning more about construction coatings This role is not specific to a single technology, so you'll have chance to get involved in working with both solvent-based and waterbased coatings You'll be working to support a team of experts at the forefront of Sika's product development process Includes a balance of hands-on lab work and admin-related tasks You'll be responsible for maintaining the equipment we have and regular certification testing It's a brilliant entry to a large company like Sika where there are great opportunities for a long and varied career The Rewards: You will be rewarded with a competitive salary, and a sweep of great benefits. We pride ourselves on our total reward package: Holiday 25 days rising to 28 days with service, plus bank holidays 37.5 hours a week with the flexibility of core working hours Core Hours are 10 till 12pm and 2pm to 4pm A company pension contribution of up to 10% Private healthcare for you, with option to add family Group life cover at 6x your annual salary Global Income Protection (PHI) Enhanced maternity and paternity pay Selected discounted Sika products The Support: You will have the opportunity to work alongside and learn from a team of global experts within liquid applied membrane technology. You will receive one to one training initially from colleagues and work closely with a Team Leader in the department. There is a significant commitment to professional and personal development from day one, through internal training and skills development. The Skills: We are keen to speak to individuals with the ability to drive change and progress actions through to completion quickly. We want someone who has a strong self-drive towards independent thought, who can execute through from idea to final product. Good project management and organisational skills are required to maintain progress over multiple things running in tandem. The Future: Potential Career Routes: R&D Chemist, Applications Chemist, Quality Engineer. Many individuals with R&D knowledge are highly desirable in other parts of the business including Product Management roles, Quality Management, and other technical-related areas. Qualifications Degree or HND educated in Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or related subjects. Experience of working in an industrial lab highly desirable (internships etc.) We want to see your passion and drive to achieving the best results possible, and the willingness to challenge those around them A great team-oriented approach as this job is to ensure everything runs smoothly for others in the team and provide support to the wider business Additional Information