2nd Aug – Graduate Jobroll

Part two of the Grad Jobroll looks at office-based positions requiring little or no experience.

Two chemical emergency responders (£20-26k) are sought by an environmental consultancy company in Oxfordshire. Working in a shift pattern to provide 24/7 cover, the excellent communicator will provide information to callers dealing with chemical emergencies in the UK and abroad. There may also be the opportunity to get involved in consultancy work and project management.

Future Science Group is looking for an assistant editor in North London to work on their biomedical publishing portfolio of journals. An excellent opportunity to start a career in publishing.

A speciality chemicals company in Derbyshire is recruiting a graduate chemist (£17-18k) to provide support to their technical and sales teams. Duties include taking orders, providing quotes and dealing with technical questions. Includes opportunities to assist with conferences, exhibitions and symposia.

A company in Northamptonshire seeks a chemistry graduate – project manager (£18-22k) for a 9-month contract. Although requiring a good understanding of synthetic chemistry, the role appears to involve the coordination of synthetic chemistry projects for clinical trials, including collating study information and producing protocols. Knowledge of the clinical trials process, through placement or final year project required.

A graduate planning and scheduling engineer is required at a manufacturer in Worcestershire. Planning orders by coordinating with sales, production and operations, the role also involves learning the engineering processes being scheduled and developing IT systems.

Tessella are (again) looking for graduate scientific software developers (£23-29k) to join them in Stevenage, Abingdon and the USA. I like plugging this company because the more chemists we get working in software development, the better: there are far too may poorly-designed, user-unfriendly, feature-lacking (or over-loaded) programs that we have to endure as scientists, because there hasn’t been enough customer (chemist) input in the original design and development process. So, go learn a programming language (Jave/C-variants/VB/.NET/Python) and help save our sanity! Plus the role offers 20 days training a year, travel and extended work at customer sites and secondments. Oh, to be 21 again...

26th March Jobroll

The job boards appear to be positively heaving with adverts this month. Starting off the week: a selection of positions for chemists for whom the fumehood is not the be-all and end-all.

An EHS specialist is sought by a pharma company in Dorset to work across the chemical production, warehouse and office areas. Provide training and guidance; develop risk assessments, SOPs and strategies; and investigate compliance issues and incidents. Degree, NVQ3 or 4 and IOSH qualification required.

A company in Bristol is looking for a chemical sourcing specialist (£25k) to evaluate, source and analyse starting materials and intermediates. PhD or equivalent, and experiencing communicating with customers and clients required.

It’s the time of year when the Royal Society of Chemistry is recruiting placement students and graduates:

Summer placements in scientific publishing (£8/hr) are available for those having A-level Chemistry and who are studying towards or have completed a degree. The 8-12 week placement will involve working with journal teams, academics, authors and customers; correcting articles and publishing online.

An 8-week science writer internship (£1750 bursary) is offered to a student member who wants to work in the editorial office of Chemistry World and Education in Chemistry, gaining experience in the writing/editing process. The right candidate will have an enthusiasm for scientific communication, and be finishing or have recently completed their degree/postgrad course.

The RSC graduate training scheme is also still open, offering opportunities in “publishing, education, conferences, science policy and the promotion of chemistry...”

Finally, with the news that Neil is moving back to the RSC, there’s an assistant editor position available at Nature Chemistry in London. Duties include commissioning/editing journal content, managing peer-review, selecting manuscripts for publication, writing editorials and blog posts, and a fair amount of tweeting. Ideal candidate will have a PhD; postdoc experience an advantage.

Focus on: Desk jobs

Putting those chemistry skills to use, away from the fumehood.

A senior chemist is required at a manufacturing site in the South West to take responsibility for MSDS provision and ensure company compliance with REACH, CHIP and COSHH legislation. Degree, MSDS and database management experience required; REACH experience preferable. £28-30k.

Alfa Aesar are offering a position as a technical services specialist in the North West. This will involve creating technical specs for products, assigning hazards, collecting additional data and updating the company database – including assisting in the production of the Alfa Aesar catalogue and technical notes. Chemistry degree with 2 years similar experience, PhD preferred.

The NCEC (National Chemical Emergency Centre) is looking for a chemical emergency responder in Oxfordshire. This will be a rotating shift role to provide 24/7 phone-based emergency response information in response to incidents. There will also be the opportunity for technical consultancy, project management and software development. Requires excellent verbal skills, initiative and ability to work under pressure. Degree, knowledge of chemical safety legislation, DSGA qualification and experience of customer relations preferable.

The NCEC is part of the AEA Group, and on the parent website a couple of additional positions are advertised: A chemical emergency support responder, who will update and author MSDSs and provide back-up duties to the previous role; and a chemical risk consultant, to project manage and create opportunities for training, regulatory advice and consulting. Relevant experience for both is required.

Finally, the RSC is recruiting an accreditation specialist to be based in Cambridge with UK and international travel. The successful applicant will develop accreditation processes and procedures, work with universities to set standards for degree provision, and engage employers with RSC training programmes. First degree (higher degree preferred), some postgraduate employment and an understanding of the market for degree courses and professional development programmes is essential. An overall understanding of chemist employers, education and training systems, and a willingness to network would be advantageous. £30-33k. Closes 9^th May.