Join the beating heart of Ossila
Jobs in Sheffield
Join us in the ‘Steel City’, the manufacturing heartland of the UK and the birthplace of Ossila.
At Ossila Sheffield, you’ll share ideas, pool resources, and gain new perspectives to better understand complex problems, find solutions, and create with likeminded innovative thinkers. The most significant scientific breakthroughs of the last century were only made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of diverse and agile teams, and this has also been the key to our success over the last decade and a half. Having been founded by academics at the University of Sheffield, collaboration is an ingrained part of our culture.
Now based in a former steelworks in Attercliffe, our unique space is home to our main office, manufacturing floor, distribution centre, and fully equipped chemical laboratory. This is the perfect place for us to continue our rapid expansion as an international company; we are proud to represent the tradition of innovation and invention that makes Sheffield the culturally, professionally, and environmentally rich city that it is.
Apply today to join the core of everything we do.
Why Work At Ossila?
Competitive salaries
With regular performance-based pay reviews
Profit share scheme
Long running discretionary bonus scheme
Pension scheme
Pension scheme with employer contributions
Regular social events
Tea and cake meetings, BBQs, Christmas party and more
On-site parking
Free parking with marked bays reserved for employees
Modern office spaces
Recently renovated with fibre backbone network
Fully equipped lab
Purpose-built lab in Sheffield for synthetic chemistry and device testing
Cycle friendly
Secure bike storage and shower facilities
Current Opportunities at Ossila Sheffield
Location: On-site in , Sheffield UK
Employment Type: Full-Time
Hours: Full-time (nominally 9am-5pm)
Salary: £24000 - £26000 per annum
Deadline: Friday, Apr 14, 2023 (with rolling interviews as good applications are received)
Start Date: As soon as possible
If you’re a great writer and copyeditor and are keen to take your career to the next level by learning about search engine optimisation (SEO), this is for you! This is a fantastic opportunity for a confident wordsmith to grow with an ambitious company whose products lower the barrier to entry for scientific research and pave the way to the next generation of solar cells, OLEDs, and electronics.
Applying your aptitude for the written word and developing a broad SEO skillset, with a focus on content, you will help make scientific information more accessible by interpreting complex language and ideas and improving the clarity and readability of our pages. You will also write non-technical content that converts website visitors to loyal customers through effective communication. As you learn more about SEO and we scale-up our traffic acquisition strategy, you will play a vital role in the creation of, in effect, a small but highly efficient internal publishing house.
In short, by working closely with our existing SEO specialists, graphic designers, and internal and external scientific content writers, you will create and edit high-quality, engaging, search friendly content that brings traffic to our website and drives sales. Based on-site in our newly renovated office and manufacturing space, you will be an integral part of the marketing team at Ossila.
The Role
The role will evolve over time, but day to day responsibilities will include:
- Learning about SEO, and how SEO techniques can be applied on a B2B e-commerce website
- Reviewing, copyediting, and optimising technical and transactional content
- Writing non-technical marketing copy that informs and sells
- Writing content for award entries, digital PR, and recruitment
- Helping to research and plan content that can help grow the business
- Sourcing, reviewing, and publishing new content from internal and external writers
- Monitoring and analysing website performance and discussing potential opportunities
- Collaborating with other team members on-site at our Sheffield location
Your primary objective will be to increase sales by improving our average position in Google for relevant keywords and increasing the number of website entrances and product page views.
About You
To thrive in this role, you will need to have excellent writing and editing skills, an eye for detail, and a strong desire to learn about search engine optimisation. The successful candidate will also have either a degree in an essay writing subject (such as English, politics, or history) or another degree paired with proven writing ability.
You should also meet the following requirements:
- Strong and demonstratable writing and comprehension ability
- Ability to follow and set style guidelines
- High level of attention to detail and accuracy
- Excellent time management and a high level of personal organisation
- Ability to engage with and build good working relationships with a wide range of people
- Ability to reliably commute to Attercliffe, Sheffield
- The right to work in the UK
- Fantastic teamwork and collaboration skills
- Strong desire for continuous learning and self-improvement
- Adaptability, resourcefulness, and an aptitude for problem solving
- Highly organised and self-motivated
- Methodical and diligent work ethic
A background in science is not necessary, but you should be confident in your ability to read and rephrase technical writing without affecting the accuracy of the text. SEO training will be provided, but background knowledge about SEO, HTML, and CMS’ such as Shopify would be advantageous.
About Us
Ossila is a high-growth, high-tech company with headquarters in the UK. We are a world-class organisation, driven by our mission to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.
We provide high quality materials and equipment that deliver high performance and low cost, with outstanding customer support, to the international scientific research community. Approximately 85% of our sales are exported to over 1000 institutions in >90 countries and we have won prestigious awards for our innovation and exporting capabilities.
Apply Now
To apply, email us at recruitment@ossila.com with a copy of your CV and a personalised covering letter. Your covering letter is your chance to tell us why you are interested in the position and how your skills, experience, and qualifications make you a good fit. If you meet the role requirements, this is how we decide who to invite for a video interview, so please don’t forget to attach it!
Visit www.ossila.com/en-us/apply for more information. No agencies please.
Location: On-site in , Sheffield UK
Employment Type: Full-Time
Hours: Full-time (nominally 9am-5pm)
Salary: £24000 - £26000 per annum
Deadline: Tuesday, Apr 11, 2023 (with rolling interviews as good applications are received)
Start Date: As soon as possible
The Role
We are looking for someone to join our Customer Care team to help facilitate our sales of renewable energy and materials-science related products to over 90 countries around the world. You will learn the details of international trade including tax, delivery incoterms, customs formalities, shipping, and how to ensure sanctions compliance. Daily activities will include responding to customer enquiries with quotes, assisting with general enquiries, processing customer orders as well as helping to prepare, dispatch and assist with the delivery of goods to around the world.
No previous experience of international trade is required, but the successful candidate will have the ability to learn quickly, pay attention to detail and will be confident and capable of working in a fast-paced professional environment with a passion for customer service.
The role involves working as part of the Customer Care team, who are main point of contact for our client base of universities and blue-chip research institutions around the world. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal are therefore essential.
Duties undertaken by the Customer Care and Operations Administrator will include working with our customer relationship management (CRM) system as well as other IT systems to:
- Email clients with quotations and process orders
- Prepare customs documentation and commercial invoices
- Book shipments and track packages around the world
- Liaise with couriers and provide accurate information for customs clearance, to ensure the timely delivery of orders
- Keep our records up to date and assist with general enquiries
The role will also involve preparing client orders, which involves checking all products and carefully packaging them before shipment, as well as checking the shipping documentation. A keen eye for detail is therefore imperative for this role.
All the above responsibilities must be completed in a specific timeframe and therefore strong organisation skills and the ability to meet strict deadlines is essential. A successful candidate will also have strong IT and problem-solving skills.
Full training will be provided to give practical customer service experience of international trade in a small but fast-growing company.
Essential requirements:
- Methodical and diligent work ethic
- Office and customer service experience
- Good interpersonal and written/oral communication skills
- Excellent organisational skills
- High attention to detail
- Good Excel and general IT skills
- Excellent record keeping
- Right to work in UK
About Us
Ossila is a small but high-growth, high-tech business based in the UK looking to continue our rapid expansion over the next few years. Formed by academics from the University of Sheffield we have now moved off-campus to give us more space to grow and we currently employ over 40 people. Our aim is to build a world-class company of significant size and stature over the next five years that helps to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by providing standardised materials and equipment with improved performance, lower cost and great customer support.
Approximately 85% of our sales are exported to over 3,000 institutions in >90 countries, we have many of the world leading research institutions as customers and have won both Institute of Physics awards for innovation and a Queens Award for export.
Apply Now
To apply, send a CV and cover letter to recruitment@ossila.com. Please note that all applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the position, including UK or Irish citizens, EU citizens already enrolled in the EU Settlement Scheme or current work permit holder. No agencies please.
Please also note that CVs without covering letters will be automatically rejected. This is a full-time role with a requirement to physically be onsite.
Location: On-site in , Sheffield UK
Employment Type: Part-Time
Hours: Part-time Temporary (14-20 hours per week for 6 months)
Salary: £14 - £16 per hour (plus holiday pay)
Deadline: Friday, Apr 21, 2023 (with rolling interviews as good applications are received)
Start Date: As soon as possible
Join us for a six-month business development placement and help expand our product catalogue by sourcing a comprehensive range of optical components. With the flexibility of part-time hours during term time and exams and the option for full-time hours during holidays, this is an excellent opportunity for a post-graduate student to gain valuable industry experience at a fast-growing company in the scientific sector.
By applying your knowledge of optics and refining your innate business acumen, you will help us launch a competitively priced range of high-quality optical mounts, irises and apertures, lenses and mirrors, breadboards, and translation stages. In doing so, you will help future generations of students and scientists set up their experiments and quickly get started with their research without exhausting their limit budget on basic components.
Working closely with the team in our unique open plan office and manufacturing space, you will learn how to develop strategic relationships with suppliers and manufacturers as you embark upon this ambitious and wide-reaching sourcing project for specialist traded goods.
The Role
Initially, the primary tasks of this project will include:
- Identifying suppliers and manufacturers of suitable optical components
- Making contact and posing initial queries regarding their product ranges around pricing, lead times, tolerances, and quality standards (such as RoHS or ISO)
- Maintaining records of suppliers contacted, including the details of main points of contact, price lists of suitable components, lead times, and any other relevant information
- Meeting with the project manager to discuss potential suppliers and issues encountered
- Purchasing samples of suitable components from prospective suppliers and checking the quality of these components against any claimed tolerances
If the project is successful, the placement could see you setting quality control procedures to allow us to efficiently inspect the optical components as they arrive. In the mature stages of the project, there is also scope for you to assist with adding the new range of products to our website.
About You
If you have an undergraduate degree in Physics (or a similar, related discipline) and are currently undertaking a post-graduate degree course involving work with optical components, this placement is for you.
You should also meet the following requirements:
- Laboratory experience working with optical components
- Good communication skills
- Methodical and diligent work ethic
- Highly organised and self-motivated
- Desire for learning and self-improvement
- Ability to reliably commute to Attercliffe, Sheffield
- The right to work in the UK
Although not required, proficiency (C2) in written and spoken Mandarin and previous experience with purchasing procedures/component sourcing would also be advantageous.
About Us
Ossila is a high-growth, high-tech company with offices in the UK and the Netherlands. We are a world-class organisation, driven by our mission to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery. To achieve this ambition, we provide the international scientific research community with high-performance, low-cost laboratory equipment and a range of chemicals and consumables.
We specialise in the cross-border, business-to-business trade of specialised goods for materials science, organics, and renewable-energy research. Approximately 85% of our sales are exported to over 3000 institutions in > 90 countries, and we have won prestigious awards for our innovation and exporting capabilities. Originally formed by academics from the University of Sheffield, we pride ourselves on our decades of experience, excellent customer service and technical support, and quality products.
Apply Now
To apply, email us at recruitment@ossila.com with a copy of your CV and a personalised covering letter. Your covering letter is your chance to tell us why you are interested in the position and how your skills, experience, and qualifications make you a good fit. If you meet the role requirements, this is how we decide who to invite for a video interview, so please don’t forget to attach it!
Visit www.ossila.com/en-us/apply for more information. No agencies please.
How to Find Us
Our Sheffield headquarters are easily accessible from the M1 via the Sheffield parkway and from Sheffield train station via the number 52 bus service. We are also only a short walk away from Woodbourn Road and Attercliffe tram stops. By car, we are:
- 10 minutes from Sheffield city centre
- 15 minutes from Rotherham
- 30 minutes from Doncaster
- 30 minutes from Chesterfield
- 50 minutes from Leeds
- 60 minutes from Nottingham
- 60 minutes from Derby
- 90 minutes from Manchester
On-site parking is free, and we have cycling facilities including a shower and secure storage.
The main entrance to Solpro Business Park is on Windsor Street, just off Attercliffe Road (there is no access from Princess Street). Our reception can be found in the Northern Block of the business park at the end of Windsor Street.

Parts of this page were written using a pre-trained AI. If you're interested in working with the latest technology, apply for a role at Ossila today!