Principal Scientist

🧪Principal Scientist – Analytical

🚀Location: Sandwich

💰Salary: Up to £57,000 per annum

Job Type: Permanent | Full‑time (37.5 hours)

A leading UK scientific organisation is seeking an experienced Principal Scientist (Analytical) to provide senior scientific leadership and hands‑on expertise across a diverse portfolio of client projects. This is a high‑impact role for an analytical specialist who excels at method development, problem‑solving, and driving high‑quality data delivery within regulated environments.

The Role

You will shape analytical strategy, design and interpret complex studies, and act as a trusted scientific partner to multidisciplinary teams. Combining technical authority with practical laboratory work, you’ll ensure analytical approaches are robust, compliant, and aligned with project and regulatory expectations.

Alongside project delivery, you’ll play a key role in mentoring colleagues, strengthening analytical capability, and fostering a collaborative, high‑performing scientific culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead analytical strategy and delivery across small molecules and emerging modalities.
• Design, execute, and interpret complex analytical studies to support process development and technical investigations.
• Provide expertise across techniques such as UPLC‑MS, SFC, NMR, GC‑MS and advanced characterisation methods.
• Drive method development, validation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with R&D chemists, process chemists, project teams, quality colleagues, and clients.
• Uphold the highest standards of data integrity, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Mentor and develop scientists, supporting capability building and knowledge sharing.
• Manage projects effectively, ensuring timelines, quality, and client expectations are met.

About You

You will bring:

• A PhD in Chemistry (or equivalent postgraduate qualification).
• Strong experience in method development / analytical development.
• A solid background in drug substance / API analytical science.
• Proven experience managing projects within a scientific or regulated environment.
• Broad technical expertise across modern analytical instrumentation.
• A passion for delivering high‑quality, compliant analytical science.
• A collaborative, supportive approach to mentoring and team development.
• Ideally, experience working within GMP‑regulated analytical laboratories.