Microbiologist

Job description

Role: Microbiology R&D Scientist, Hair Category
Location : Port Sunlight Research Lab.
Salary: Circa £31,497
Benefits : Standard Unilever Benefits
Travel: Limited travel mainly to other Unilever R&D Centres.

A new microbiologist position within the Preservation and Applied Microbiology (PAM),in Hair Group based at Port Sunlight, Merseyside has been created.to ensure products of the future are microbiologically safe by design. The purpose of the team is to provide a global technical expertise centre to support the Global Home and Personal Care Design and Deploy business in partnership with sister laboratories in other parts of the world. Microbiological expertise is provided on formulation and process design, microbiological methods and supply chain hygiene. A further aim is to drive operational efficiencies and global ways of working with our sister laboratories. The team is responsible for a hygiene assessment of all new innovations from HPC Global design Centres based in Europe. This is an excellent opportunity for a creative, innovative individual who would like to progress into a management role and will develop new scientific approaches and apply new methods.

In this role your focus will be on the following key responsibilities:

• Perform microbiological risk assessments on Hair innovation projects to ensure they are safe by design from a formulation/preservation and processing perspective, working as part of multi-disciplinary project team. Use current protocols to co-ordinate microbiological challenge testing. Analyse and report data and make recommendations.

Reporting the risk assessment to Format Leaders and Technical Project Leaders

• Managing many workstreams simultaneously in partnership with a broad network of formulators, process engineers and Technical Project Leaders.

• Directly interact with the key sister microbiological laboratories within Unilever R&D to improve ways of working and in producing technical documentation to support the business.

• Interact with key functions like Regulatory, SEAC and Buying.

• Liaise with preservative suppliers to develop partnership programmes

• Maintaining strong links and developing networks across the multi-disciplinary project teams and external stakeholders

• Progressively taking responsibility for leading specific projects on supply chain hygiene, microbiological methods and, best practice definition. These activities will involve working with colleagues in our sister R&D laboratories, global and regional quality/supply chain.

Key skills

• Microbiological Science background at PhD level in industrial microbiology with proven applied industrial microbiology experience in a related industry. MSc or BSc will be considered with extensive experience.

• Innovative approach being prepared to incorporate new working methods, keeping up to date with new scientific progress and constantly enhancing own knowledge

• Proven science and technology experience in applied microbiology, particularly in preservative testing and molecular microbiological techniques

• Proven experience in delivering technical work programmes in innovation projects

• Experienced in the creation, development and implementation of ideas related to microbiology.

• Ability to write technical documents – Scientific reports, Best practice documents, SOP's etc.

• The candidate will be expected to quickly develop a working knowledge on Hair formulation and processing.

Ideally skills in:

- Proven practical microbiological skills, ideally on Home and Personal Care Preservative Efficacy testing (challenge testing)
- Excellent IT/Information Technology awareness.
- Experience of delivering microbiological training programmes.
- Awareness of factory hygiene Good Manufacturing Practices

REQUIRED LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS
• Accountability & Responsibility
• Growth Mindset
• Consumer and Customer Focus
• Bias for Action
• Building Talent & Teams

COMPANY OVERVIEW
Unilever is a global Fast-Moving Consumer Goods company in the UK and Ireland. We are already on target to achieve our huge ambition to double the size of our business globally whilst reducing our environmental impact. We are growing our business and also doing what is right for our consumers, community and environment. We are developing brands for people's lives today and for the changing environment tomorrow - making sustainable living commonplace.
Working at Unilever means that you get to take part in this exciting journey and work with amazing people who are really passionate about our large portfolio of famous brands. We want to improve billions of lives and you too can join us in making a sustainable difference.

HOW TO APPLY
Hear stories from our Unilever Makers and understand how you can start your own Unilever career at: http://www.unilever.co.uk/careers-jobs/professionals/ .
Or to apply now, click on “Apply to this job”. All candidate applications are reviewed in accordance with the criteria outlined for the job role. Please note that the closing date for the receipt of applications is Monday 30th May 2016.

Candidates who have applied online can track their application through the candidate tracking link or, if you have any additional queries, you may contact the Recruitment hotline number on 0800 0284390.