Commercial Assistant

Commercial Assistant

JobID: CA2601

1. OUR MISSION

Promoting a future that is nature-inspired. Sparxell uses nature’s proven design principles to create drop-in alternatives to synthetic colour, eliminating chemical toxicity in global supply chains. Award-winning, Sparxell’s products are sustainably designed to overcome the challenges associated with synthetic and mined colourants.

Redesigning how colours are made. Sparxell’s pioneering pigments are made from plant-derived cellulose and nanostructured into a wide range of vibrant shades. Sparxell’s patented technology arises from multiple years of interdisciplinary research carried out at the University of Cambridge. Our ambition is to foster sustainability in advanced materials, with a targeted impact on multiple sectors that heavily rely on colour, from cosmetics to fashion, packaging, paint, and food.

2. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a highly organised and proactive Assistant to support Sparxell’s sales and marketing team. This is a hands-on role that combines marketing support, customer sample production, administration and event preparation, helping ensure that our innovative materials are presented professionally to customers primarily in the luxury fashion sector, but touching all markets.

Working closely with the commercial team, you will play an important role in supporting commercial activities, performing basic marketing tasks, preparing and shipping samples, maintaining commercial processes and documentation, checking on project progress and supporting business development activities.

Working closely with both the Commercial and R&D teams, your key responsibilities will include:

• Support customers and the Commercial team throughout the sales journey, responding positively and helpfully to their requests for support.

• Coordinate customer sample requests alongside the Commercial team from receipt through to dispatch.

• Produce, label and maintain sample, sample packs and prototype library, including textile hangers made with external partners.

• Support the preparation and packing of samples and materials for customer meetings, exhibitions and industry events.

• Receive, label, log and manage commercial samples and prototypes, keeping them tidy, documented and easy to locate.

• Support the preparation of customer-specific presentations and supporting materials including photographs.

• Check on progress of requests and orders, communicating updates and ensuring timely delivery and positive outcomes.

• Prepare shipping documentation, including customs paperwork and courier bookings.

• Support keeping up-to-date customer information and CRM records, including records of customer sample distribution.

• Maintain and update relevant commercial documents, inventory and dashboards.

• Support drafting external communications materials, including on social media.

3. YOUR PROFILE & QUALIFICATIONS

We are seeking a hands-on Product Developer with a strong understanding of textile printing methods (e.g. screen, rotary, digital), textile materials, colour science (e.g. CIE), ink and coating formulations and chemistries. The successful candidate will have a strong commercial and/or industrial background with broad domain knowledge, practical problem-solving skills and enthusiasm for working in a dynamic scale-up environment.

Qualifications & Experience

• Excellent organisational skills, high presentation standards, with strong attention to detail.

• Comfortable managing multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously.

• Strong administrative and communication skills.

• Confident using Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.

• Familiarity with international shipping and customs documentation is a plus.

• Familiarity with marketing communications, product presentation and photography.

• An interest in sustainable materials, fashion or luxury products would be beneficial.

• Experience with textile/fashion sample fabrication and management is a plus.

Personal Profile

• Enthusiastic, practical, hands-on, can-do attitude, curious and solution-driven, striving for excellence.

• Structured, organised, proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and take ownership.

• Safety-conscious with strong attention to detail and sound judgement regarding the limits of personal competence.

• Comfortable with uncertainty, with a willingness to learn from the unfamiliar and explore new paths.

• Comfortable working in a fast-changing, deadline-driven environment and collaborating with a range of internal and external partners across technical, commercial and marketing team.

• Motivated by the opportunity to help establish the world’s first commercial products from the ground up within Sparxell’s key markets, including fashion.

4. BENEFITS & CONDITIONS

Deadline for application: 5 November 2026
Contract: Full-time permanent contract with opportunities for career progression.
Starting: When available.
Location: Cambridge, UK. This role is on-site.
Estimated remuneration: From £31k depending on experience. Relocation package available.
Other benefits: Pension, private medical insurance & life insurance available. On-site parking available. Wellness hub membership.
Right to work in the UK:
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working with us. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon you gaining this right.
References:
Offers of appointment will be subject to satisfactory references.

5. FEELING LIKE JOINING OUR TEAM?

If you want to join our endeavours, please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected].
Please name your documents as JobID_Forename Surname_CV or CL for faster internal processing.
You may include any additional material that supports your application.

Colour speaks to all, and so does Sparxell. Our company is committed to building a diverse team and an inclusive environment where all employees belong. We encourage women, people of colour, individuals with disabilities, gender-expansive individuals, LGBTQ+ candidates, and other under-represented minorities to apply.

We aim to review your application within a week or two; unfortunately, we do not provide individual feedback on received applications.

Pay: From £31,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Private medical insurance
• Relocation assistance

Work Location: In person