I really like the people I work with, my colleagues are friendly and we have a good atmosphere. It’s a great environment, although it is busy and fast-paced, everyone gets on with their work with a positive attitude and we have good working relationships.
How would you describe your role?
My job is very different from other analytical chemists at Nanoco. I work in the Life Sciences team, this is a small team and therefore we all have very diverse roles. Sometimes I am doing routine analysis, sometimes, for example, the water transfer of VIVODOTS™ material, or I might be diluting samples for customers or research partners. I also work on invention disclosures and patent applications. I get to do a lot of reading and research. We are all encouraged to put forward innovative ideas.
Putting in patent applications is unusual for someone in my role and I am fortunate that I am in a team where I can do this and have the support of my manager to look for new ideas.
How long have you been with Nanoco and what made you join?
I have been at Nanoco for just over seven years, I studied nanotechnology and drug delivery at university and I already had experience from a work placement in this area. I came across Nanoco towards the end of my studies and I was attracted to working with a world leader in this field. I wanted to work in pioneering technologies and do cutting edge research. I originally came to work for Nanoco as an intern.
How has your career progressed since you have been working here?
Whilst I was working as an intern in the coatings team, Nanoco were bringing their analytical team in house. A role came up to join this new team as a junior analyst. After 18 months I became an analyst and then two years later I moved to the Life Sciences team as an analytical chemist and I now work as a senior analytical chemist.
What is your favourite part of your job?
The thing I like best is that my ideas are heard and listened to. I feel that in every role I have been in at Nanoco I am taken seriously when I make a suggestion, even when I was working in more junior roles. It is great to see your team working on an idea which you came up with!
I love doing experiments which no one has ever done before, that is so exciting.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your role?
I multitask a lot and have a lot of moving parts to keep track of. I also need to keep abreast of new developments and adapt to change. We are a busy team!
Because I work in a small team I have to wear many hats, for example, I am the H&S representative for my team, and I might also be working on improvement projects alongside my regular duties. Again balancing everything can be challenging, but I enjoy being agile and working on a variety of different tasks.
What do you think are the biggest benefits of working at Nanoco?
I really like the people I work with, my colleagues are friendly and we have a good atmosphere. It’s a great environment, although it is busy and fast-paced, everyone gets on with their work with a positive attitude and we have good working relationships.
I like having the opportunity to move around the business and get different experiences. I have worked in several different teams and got to build experience in a range of areas and develop my skillset. There is a lot of workforce mobility.
An additional bonus is that the location and the building are really good. It is easy to get to our headquarter (where I work) on public transport.