R&D Technologist

Shape the paints people see every day 

This is not a backroom laboratory role. This is a hands on formulation position where your work directly influences products used by professionals and consumers across the UK. At Crown Paints, chemistry is commercial, visible, and central to how we compete, and this role sits right at the heart of that. 

We are looking for an experienced Formulation Chemist to support and develop our decorative coatings portfolio, balancing innovation, performance, compliance, and cost, while contributing to new product development in line with Marketing strategy. This role has no people management responsibility, allowing full focus on technical delivery and product performance. 

 

What you will be responsible for 

You will support the company’s product portfolio through formulation maintenance, legislative compliance, raw material evaluation, and cost effectiveness, while also exploring new technologies and materials that can strengthen existing products or enable future development. 

Your work will include: 

• Evaluating novel and alternative raw materials and technologies and incorporating them into existing formulations where they add value 

• Developing water based and solvent based woodcare and trim paints by applying a strong understanding of raw material chemistry and performance requirements 

• Maintaining quality and cost effectiveness across retail and trade ranges through ongoing competitor benchmarking and market awareness 

Alongside this, you will use laboratory and business systems such as Microsoft Office, ProductVision, and SAP to access formulation and production data, and you will provide timely technical solutions to production issues to minimise disruption and maintain consistent output. 

 

What you will bring 

You will hold a degree in Chemistry and have ideally five years’ experience formulating decorative paints, coatings or raw materials, with the ability to plan and deliver work to deadlines. You will bring practical knowledge and confidence working independently as part of a collaborative technical team. 

Key experience and skills include: 

• Decorative paint formulation experience across water based and solvent based systems (or within coatings / raw materials) 

• Ability to balance product performance, quality, and cost 

• Confident use of Microsoft Office, ProductVision, and SAP or similar systems 

 

How you will work 

You will plan and prioritise your workload effectively, keep accurate and up to date laboratory records, and complete projects within agreed timescales. You will communicate outcomes clearly through concise technical documentation when required, maintain high standards of housekeeping, and work in line with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 procedures, contributing to a safe and well organised laboratory environment. 

 

Why Crown Paints 

Your formulations will be manufactured, sold, and trusted at scale. If you are looking for a technically focused role where your expertise has real commercial impact and your work genuinely ends up in customers’ hands, Crown Paints is the place to do it.