Meet the Team

How would you describe your role?

I manage an R&D team here at Nanoco and my role is part of the senior management team. The team is diverse; it’s a mixture of materials scientists and PhD chemists. I also manage the analytical and QC team, which is the team which provides our in-house QC service.

What is your favourite part of your job?

Seeing the material in a successful application. My team and I solve challenges and make improvements, then seeing these to completion makes me really proud. I think there is a real benefit in being a small-to-medium sized organisation that R&D teams get to see the end to end process.

Working with different people is also really enjoyable, as we have a diverse workforce. Everyone brings something different to the team.

What is the biggest challenge you face in your role?

Being flexible and responding to change. We have a lot of projects going on at any one time and they change rapidly. You need to be able to adapt quickly, this is the nature of the industry we work in! It can be challenging but it is also what makes the work exciting.

How has your career progressed since you have been working here?

I have been at Nanoco for 17 years, I joined as a senior scientist, I had completed a post doc and I had previously been working at Sharp Electronics. I later became a section head, and then my work expanded as we moved into different application areas, and I took on more leadership responsibilities.

What do you think makes Nanoco a great place to work?

What makes Nanoco special is the capacity the business has for learning. Our people don’t get pigeonholed into one role, we can move around projects and teams and build our knowledge and experience. This is really refreshing and helps us to be an innovative company that we are.

Where do you see your role going in future?

I am very happy in my current role. I like that I get to manage a team whilst balancing this with being hands on with some of the technology. My role has grown with the business, when I joined the organisation in 2007 we only had around 8 staff members, but since then we have grown rapidly and I hope to grow my role further as we further expand.

How would you describe your role?

I have a varied role but I specialise in IP, working with attorneys to file patent applications, and with scientists to help writing up their inventions. I assist with getting that patent examined and granted. I also work on commercial contacts, manage Nanoco’s grant projects and work closely with our customers.

How long have you been with Nanoco and what made you join?

I started in 2009. I was interested in materials science following my degree in Chemistry, and I was looking for a role in the North West and I came across Nanoco. The technology and the potential for something I was researching to go into real world applications hugely appealed to me.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is no typical day. I can spend a portion of each day working on contracts, proposals or project reports. I might have meetings with the legal or technical teams, or customers. Every day is different.

What do you think are the biggest benefits of working at Nanoco?

The people make the company. The cutting edge knowledge is something you cannot experience anywhere else. For me personally it’s also been great to learn from the legal team we work with and gain from their experience. There are many different roles at Nanoco and we have a diverse workforce. There is always something new to learn from others and the work they are doing. Particularly on the IP side, you learn something new each time new technology is developed, which is what I find really interesting and exciting. Working in a smaller organisation has also brought opportunities that you wouldn’t find elsewhere, such as involvement in litigation.

Are there any downsides?

If you don’t like being busy then this isn’t the place for you! The work is fast paced and change is inevitable.

How has your career progressed since you have been working here?

I started working as a chemist in the synthesis of PV materials. I then moved into a role focused on protecting our technology and I have developed that as a specialism. More recently I’ve started working on commercial contracts and managing grant projects.

What would you tell someone who was thinking about joining Nanoco?

Expect the unexpected. No two days will be the same.

How long have you been at Nanoco and what made you join?

I’ve been at Nanoco for nearly seven years. My doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on nanomaterials and quantum dot synthesis, giving me a deep understanding of the challenges in this field. Nanoco’s pioneering work in colloidal III-V quantum dots and its ability to scale up production without compromising quality stood out to me. The team’s expertise and collaborative environment made it the perfect place to grow and contribute.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part of the job is the problem-solving aspect of research. Working in R&D, I enjoy tackling complex challenges, whether it’s developing synthesis methods or troubleshooting unexpected results. I also like being hands-on in the lab every day trying out ideas. There’s always something new to learn, which keeps the work interesting.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I spend a significant amount of time in the lab developing, optimising or scaling-up QD synthesis. I spend time analysing the produced materials using various spectroscopic techniques. I also have regular project update meetings internally and with customers.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?

As a synthetic chemist, I always have a lot of ideas for new experiments, but the challenge is deciding which ones to focus on first. Since there is only so much time in the lab, some ideas have to be set aside, and there’s always a chance of missing something valuable. Finding the right balance between testing new ideas and staying on track with priorities is a challenge, but it also keeps the work exciting.

What has your biggest achievement been since joining Nanoco?

One of my biggest achievements has been leading and contributing to an Innovate UK research project focused on developing InSb quantum dots for sensing. We successfully delivered all parts of the project, and I developed a synthesis method that produces size-tunable InSb quantum dots with excellent optical properties and good scalability.

What makes Nanoco a great place to work? 

For me, it’s the people and the culture. Everyone knows each other and really cares, which makes it a friendly and supportive place to work. The science we do is also very exciting. Scientists are not limited to just one project – we have the freedom to get involved in other projects and work with different teams. This gives us a great chance to learn new things.