Plant Chemist

NZP, a subsidiary of ICE Pharma Company, is located on the outskirts of Palmerston North, where we have proudly supplied our global customers for over 50 years. We manufacture a range of products for export to pharmaceutical, microbiological media, health food, and biotechnology markets worldwide.

Why Join NZP?

At NZP we value the contribution every team member makes to our overall success. We are committed to recognising your strengths, harnessing your talents and providing opportunities to grow and develop your career with us. We believe rewarding great work is important which is why we offer a range of benefits including healthcare, insurances, and other employee wellbeing initiatives. This is a full-time position with a minimum of 40 hours a week located in Palmerston North.

Plant Chemist

We’re looking for a Plant Chemist to provide advanced technical expertise across chemical manufacturing processes and to strengthen our product and process understanding (PPU). This is a newly created role that is a key technical partner to the Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain Departments, driving investigations, troubleshooting, process optimisation, and the introduction of new technologies, while ensuring robust, compliant operations aligned with cGMP and site objectives.

What you’ll do

• Provide expert technical support across manufacturing processes, using strong Product and Process Understanding (PPU) and analytical data to drive robust, science-based decision making
• Lead and support investigations into deviations, out-of-specification (OOS) results, and product non-conformances—determining root causes and implementing effective CAPA
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying optimisation opportunities, developing technical solutions, and supporting the introduction and scale-up of new products, processes, and technologies
• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Technical, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to troubleshoot issues, improve process performance, and enhance operational capability
• Prepare, review, and maintain high-quality technical documentation, ensuring compliance with cGMP, site standards, and regulatory expectations
• Foster a culture of technical excellence by sharing knowledge and staying current with advances in manufacturing technology and chemistry

About You

You are a technically strong, manufacturing‑focused chemist who thrives at the interface of science and plant operations. You bring deep applied chemistry knowledge and use sound scientific judgement, analytical data, and product and process understanding to guide practical, GMP‑compliant decisions in a live manufacturing environment.

You are comfortable working on the manufacturing floor, providing real‑time technical support, leading complex investigations, and identifying chemical and process risks. You combine strong process chemistry expertise with a pragmatic mindset, balancing urgency, risk, and compliance to improve robustness, safety, and performance.

You are collaborative and confident, able to clearly explain complex chemical issues to non‑technical stakeholders and to influence outcomes through evidence‑based reasoning.

What you’ll bring

• Degree (BSc minimum and Masters / PhD is preferred) in Chemistry (organic/analytical/physical) or Chemical Engineering (with strong chemistry focus) or equivalent experience
• Practical, hands-on experience in GMP pharmaceutical (or closely regulated) chemical manufacturing
• Applied knowledge of process chemistry, troubleshooting, scale‑up challenges, and lab‑to‑plant translation
• Strong capability in interpreting analytical data (e.g. HPLC, GC, NMR, IR) and assessing data reliability and relevance to manufacturing decisions
• Demonstrated capability in leading scientifically rigorous deviation and OOS investigations, root cause analysis, and CAPA development and execution
• Strong technical writing skills for cGMP documentation (protocols, reports, batch records, risk assessments)
• Familiarity with process safety and chemical risk assessment is required
• Collaborative, proactive, and comfortable working cross-functionally and on the manufacturing floor
• Confidence providing on‑the‑floor technical guidance in time‑critical situations
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and prioritisation skills in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with DoE/experimental design, small-scale development work, and scale-up principles (desirable)

How to Apply

If you’re interested in joining the team, please submit your application, including a cover letter and CV, via the application link.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Emily on ***email_hidden***

All applicants must pass pre‑employment medical assessments, including drug screening.