How often does a chemist get the chance to create an analytical function from scratch?

This is your opportunity to define the methods, systems and standards that a major testing laboratory will rely on for years to come.

Job Title: Analytical Chemist
Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm
Salary: Negotiable with a bracket of £35K – £45K per year (depending on experience)

The Opportunity

We’re supporting one of the UK’s largest independent mechanical testing laboratories — the place where metals, composites and advanced alloys are pushed, stretched and broken to prove their integrity.

Before any aerospace component is cleared for use, the chemistry behind it must be correct. That’s where you come in.

You’ll take ownership of introducing, developing and validating ICP capability in a safety-critical environment where accuracy genuinely matters.

This isn’t about following someone else’s methods.
This is about establishing your own — and building a capability the lab can grow around.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll be the person who brings ICP analysis to life, leading the development and day-to-day running of a high-integrity chemical lab.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing, validating and refining ICP-OES and ICP-MS methods
• Taking ownership of Perkin Elmer Optima 8000 and NexION 350X instrumentation
• Supporting routine OES and LECO combustion analysis
• Producing reliable, traceable results used in safety-critical aerospace certification
• Working within a lab where ISO 17025 is not just compliance — it’s culture
• Aligning chemical methods with NADCAP aerospace requirements (strong advantage if you’ve done this before)
• Acting as the go-to technical authority for analytical chemistry

This isn’t a technician role. It’s a specialist position with genuine influence and technical ownership.

About You

You’ll fit well here if you are:

• Experienced in ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS (method development strongly preferred)
• Comfortable working in an accredited lab (ISO 17025 or NADCAP ideal)
• Highly precise and process-driven
• Curious by nature — you want to understand the “why” behind results
• Happy working in a hands-on environment where engineering meets chemistry
• Motivated by building systems, not just following them

Why This Role Matters

Every analysis you run will feed into decisions affecting aerospace, power generation, defence and high-performance engineering.

This is chemistry with real-world consequences — and the chance to build a capability that directly supports safety-critical testing.

Perks & Culture

• Cycle to Work scheme
• Company pension
• Death in Service cover
• Breakfast Club
• Company social events
• 23 days holiday + bank holidays (rising with service)
• A down-to-earth team who value quality, integrity and continuous improvement

How to Apply

Apply here or contact Josh Whitmore at Your Recruiters for more information.
Every applicant receives a response, and we take the time to understand what you’re looking for.

Client Interview Process

Shortlisted candidates will attend an onsite interview, including a walkthrough of the working area and a practical, competency-based assessment.

Your Recruiters Limited is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and provide communication and feedback throughout the process.