Product Developer (Fashion Prints & Coatings)
JobID: PD2602
1. OUR MISSION
Promoting a future that is nature-inspired. Sparxell uses nature’s proven design principles to create drop-in alternatives to synthetic colour, eliminating chemical toxicity in global supply chains. Award-winning, Sparxell’s products are sustainably designed to overcome the challenges associated with synthetic and mined colourants.
Redesigning how colours are made. Sparxell’s pioneering pigments are made from plant-derived cellulose and nanostructured into a wide range of vibrant shades. Sparxell’s patented technology arises from multiple years of interdisciplinary research performed at the University of Cambridge. Our ambition is to foster sustainability in advanced materials, with a targeted impact on multiple sectors that heavily rely on colour, from cosmetics to fashion, packaging, paint, and food.
2. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are recruiting an experienced Product Developer (Fashion Prints & Coatings) to play a key role in the industrial implementation, validation, and certification of Sparxell’s plant-based pigments within the fashion, textile and coating industries.
This is an exciting technical position spanning from applications development and industrial trials, through to product launch and roll-out, customer support, and full commercial implementation.
Working closely with both the Commercial and R&D teams, your key responsibilities will include:
Product development: Developing,sourcing and validating new printing ink and coating formulations, assessing new ink substrates and developing different printing and coating methods, such as for textiles and fashion. Translating new R&D innovations into commercially ready prototypes.
Application support: Supporting customers to deliver successful implementations of the product by tuning formulations, developing manufacturing methods and providing technical support to end-users at laboratory and industrial scale. Working with customers to ensure that the products meet specific technical and industrial requirements and executing testing protocols to verify product performance.
Scale-up support: Working closely with customers to deliver successful technical support and commercial implementation in a range of applications, including planning, organising and conducting on-site visits and trials. Occasional UK and international travel will be required.
Technical documentation management: Develop product specifications and maintain certifications for key products and markets, including textiles and fashion. Produce technical reports, standard operating procedures and data sheets. Provide technical input into commercial and marketing literature.
3. YOUR PROFILE & QUALIFICATIONS
We are seeking a hands-on Product Developer with a strong understanding of textile printing methods (e.g. screen, rotary, digital), textile materials, colour science (e.g. CIE), ink and coating formulations and chemistries. The successful candidate will have a strong commercial and/or industrial background with broad domain knowledge, practical problem-solving skills and enthusiasm for working in a dynamic scale-up environment.
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum 5 years’ relevant experience in ink/coating development, industrial textile coating, printing, surface treatments relevant to fashion textiles or a similar technical area.
- B.Sc in Textile Engineering/Technology, Materials/Fibers Science, Chemistry or a related subject.
- Practical experience with industrial printing equipment, such as textile screen printing, including operation, optimisation and troubleshooting.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including design, production, and marketing to translate trend and design concepts into tangible prototypes and finished products.
- Experience working with clients, suppliers and technical service providers, with confidence reviewing technical proposals, manuals, and datasheets.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple technical activities, suppliers and stakeholders.
- Familiarity with industry-recognised certifications, such as Oeko-Tex and ZDHC.
· Familiarity with design software, e.g. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Personal Profile
· Enthusiastic, practical, hands-on, curious and solution-driven, striving for excellence.
- Structured, organised and proactive, with the ability to work independently and take ownership.
- Safety-conscious with strong attention to detail and sound judgement regarding the limits of personal competence.
- Comfortable with uncertainty, with a willingness to learn from the unfamiliar and explore new paths.
- Comfortable working in a fast-changing, deadline-driven scale-up environment and collaborating with a range of internal and external partners including customers, suppliers and contractors.
- Motivated by the opportunity to help establish the world’s first commercial products from the ground up within Sparxell’s key markets, including fashion.
4. BENEFITS & CONDITIONS
Deadline for application: 5 October 2026
Contract: Full-time permanent contract with opportunities for career progression.
Starting: When available.
Location: Cambridge, UK. This is role is predominantly on site and will include short-duration travel within the UK and internationally for customer trials, supplier visits, and application scale-up.
Estimated remuneration: From £42k depending on experience. Relocation package available.
Other benefits: Pension, private medical insurance & life insurance available. On-site parking available. Wellness hub membership.
Right to work in the UK:
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working with us. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon you gaining this right.
References:
Offers of appointment will be subject to satisfactory references.
5. FEELING LIKE JOINING OUR TEAM?
If you want to join our endeavours, please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected].
Please name your documents as JobID_Forename Surname_CV or CL for faster internal processing.
You may include any additional material that supports your application.
Colour speaks to all, and so does Sparxell. Our company is committed to building a diverse team and an inclusive environment where all employees belong. We encourage women, people of colour, individuals with disabilities, gender-expansive individuals, LGBTQ+ candidates, and other under-represented minorities to apply.
We aim to review your application within a week or two; unfortunately, we do not provide individual feedback on received applications.
Pay: From £42,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Relocation assistance
- UK visa sponsorship
Work Location: In person
