Sustainable Product Development (KTP Associate)

Job Advert

Position: Sustainable Product Development (KTP Associate)

Based at: PVA Hygiene Ltd, Bristol

Salary:  £30,000

The role:

An exciting opportunity has become available to work full time on a 20-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to develop multi-disciplinary expertise that will enable the business to develop novel cleaning products.

Employed and supported by a team of academic experts from the University and PVA's technical consultant who is based a short distance from MMU. You will work from business location in Manchester and spend time at the PVA office in Bristol. There will be regular travel to PVA Hygiene Ltd's premises in Bristol.

Company information:

PVA Hygiene are a Bristol-based company manufacturing environmentally friendly UK-made cleaning products for professional cleaning. Find out more about PVA Hygiene at www.pva-hygiene.co.uk

Qualification we require:

BSc in Microbiology or Chemistry (minimum 2:1) or a related science. A second, formal qualification in a related area such as management and sustainability would be highly advantageous though not essential.

Application requirements:

You are expected to have the following technical skills:

• Microbiology: interactions between bacteria and substrata, enzymes, surface characterisation, residual microorganism detection and biofouling.
• Biochemistry: the detection and characterisation of conditioning films and biochemical molecules at the cell-surface interface.
• Chemistry: an understanding of Surfactants and relevant regulations pertaining to placing detergents and disinfectants on the market.
• Sustainability: Knowledge and understanding of sustainability standards and/or sustainability management systems. Alternatively, demonstrable interest in environmental/sustainability issues.
• Surface analysis techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy techniques.
• The ability to work with bio-based and traditional surfactants combined with and microbiological materials to produce effective commercially viable cleaning products.
• A driven person that can turn around academic knowhow into marketable products or market support literature.
• Excellent face to face skills with non-technical staff and customers so that scientific concepts can be translated into sales.
• Statistical analysis and interpretation of testing results.

Benefits:

• £2,000 per year to spend on personal training;
• attendance at two residential managerial workshops (each of one week's duration);
• opportunity to register on a higher degree (at a reduced cost);
• potential opportunity of a permanent position with the company; 70% of host companies make a permanent job offer to their Associate at the end of the project.

For an informal discussion, please contact Professor Kathryn Whitehead k.a.whitehead@mmu.ac.uk or Dr Helen Wadham h.wadham@mmu.ac.uk

Apply by submitting a CV and Covering Letter detailing how you meet the criteria for the role, Job Description attached below

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