Laboratory Chemist Apprentice

CF FERTILISERS UK LIMITED

Billingham (TS23 1XT)

Closes in 20 days (Monday 1 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 11 August 2025

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Summary

At CF, our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. We are looking for an apprentice to join our specialised team as a Laboratory Chemist Apprentice. You will Provide analytical data for process and product control to meet legal and quality assurance requirements amongst many other duties.

Wage

£14,918.80 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 08:00 - 16:00

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 8 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

As an Apprentices Chemist to work toward:

Provide analytical data for process and product control to meet legal and quality assurance requirements; analysis of plant process samples, sample collection on plant, communication of sample results to plant/customers, basic equipment maintenance and performance checks to ensure accuracy of measurement.

  • Ensure all analytical work is carried out in accordance with operating procedures and quality standards
  • Prioritise and ensure the completion of a changing analytical workload in order to meet the demands of internal and external customers
  • Carry out, validate and report analyses for the site operations in order to prevent unsafe situations arising or incorrect data being passed to a third party, which has the potential for major impact on site operations or customers
  • Provide process chemistry and technical knowledge to advise the production areas in the interpretation of laboratory data
  • Initiate and carry out troubleshooting, repair and calibration of a wide range of technical equipment, within the central laboratory and plant laboratories to ensure a reliable service
  • Implement improvements to systems and measurement techniques to continually enhance the measurement resource of the businesses
  • Deal with and resolve queries on analytical results that may come from production areas or customers for their product to satisfy business requirements
  • Perform all work to required safety standards to prevent accidents and personal injury
  • Report and action non-conformances/deficiencies in systems of work or in the workplace to improve effectiveness of the laboratory

Where you'll work

PO Box 81
Billingham
TS23 1XT

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE

Training course

Laboratory technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
  • Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
  • Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
  • Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
  • Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
  • Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
  • Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
  • Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
  • Complete documentation proficiently
  • Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
  • Contribute to the preparation of reports.
  • Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
  • Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
  • Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
  • Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
  • Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
  • Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
  • Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
  • Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results
  • Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
  • Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
  • Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
  • Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
  • Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
  • Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
  • Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
  • Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
  • Complete documentation proficiently
  • Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
  • Contribute to the preparation of reports.
  • Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
  • Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
  • Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
  • Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
  • Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
  • Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
  • Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
  • Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results

Training schedule

Laboratory Technician Level 3.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths & English (grade 4 or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem solving skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Individual Integrity
  • Working Safely
  • Passion for research

About this employer

For decades, our business has focused on producing and selling ammonia and other ammonia-derived fertilizers, such as urea and UAN, for their nitrogen content in order to provide energy to crops to increase yields. These products helped dramatically increased food production in the second half of the 1900s, supporting world population growth and lifting countless people out of hunger. At the same time, fertilizer allows more food to be grown on fewer acres. This reduces the amount of land cleared for agriculture, preserving carbon-sequestering forests and the biodiversity of wildlife ecosystems.

https://www.cfindustries.com/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Exceptional training and development programme Entitled to join the Company Pension Scheme and receive death in service benefit A Flexible programme that is employer led with bespoke training modules Exceptional reward and recognition events

After this apprenticeship

The specific job opportunities with CF will be dependent on the business requirements on completion of the apprenticeship. The goal of the apprenticeship is to obtain a full-time career within the laboratory department within the chemical manufacturing industry. There are many opportunities to progress to positions of responsibility including supervisor, or other key positions within the business in the future.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336559.

Apply now

Closes in 20 days (Monday 1 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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