A career in the chemical industry is exciting and challenging. As part of the Grimsby Telegraph's Your Life: Your Future campaign, reporter Laura Stuart-Cook finds out more ...

DOES the idea of inventing a new chemical product or improving an existing one fill you with excitement?

If so, a career in research and development could be the perfect choice for you – and there are opportunities to do it right here on your doorstep.

Millennium Inorganic Chemicals – A Cristal Global Company is one of North East Lincolnshire's biggest employers, with more than 400 staff working to produce a pigment which is then used in dozens of household products.

One of the Stallingborough-based company's key departments is its research and development laboratories.

As part of our Your Life: Your Future campaign, HR adviser Joanne Martin is sharing details of the training and experience you will need to pursue a career in the labs.

"Research and development is the area with the lowest turnover of staff," she said.

"The people who work in the laboratories are highly skilled, their knowledge is often very specific to the titanium dioxide industry and they tend to stay with the company for the rest of their careers once they have joined us.

"However, last year we also started offering apprenticeships in research and development to A-level students and we hope to continue this in coming years.

"A high level of academic attainment in science, particularly chemistry, is an absolute must if you want to work in this field."

And the lucky few who are chosen to work in the laboratories could soon be coming up with ground-breaking inventions and designs.

Among the cutting-edge products which staff at Millennium have produced is pollution-eating paint which has since been used around the world.

After 12 years and millions of pounds, researchers unveiled the CristalACTiV product last year.

It is already being used in car parks and streets in pollution-hit Paris, as well as in road tunnels in Italy, while Immingham Day Nursery, in Pelham Road, was the first building to benefit in North East Lincolnshire.

Joanne added: "Working in research is a highly skilled job but it is also incredibly rewarding.

"The people who work in our laboratories are at the forefront of innovation in the chemicals industry and that is a very exciting place to be."

Find out more

In the final of our series on how you could secure a career at Millennium, tomorrow we will focus on purchasing and finance.

To find out more about careers at the site, visit www.cristalglobal.com. You can also email your CV to careers.stallingborough@cristalglobal.com