He spent his early career in academia as a lecturer and researcher, before moving into administration as a civil servant and university college head.
[5] Having won a scholarship as a Carnegie Scholar, Melville studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh.
[2] He also worked at the Colloid Science Laboratory in Cambridge under Eric Rideal, and in 1938 became its assistant director of research.
From 1940 to 1943, he served as Scientific Adviser to the Chief Superintendent of the Ministry of Supply, and was based at Porton Down.
[2] There, he developed a team of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who specialised in polymer chemistry.
[5] In 1956, Melville moved in administration upon his appointment as Permanent Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
[11] In 1955, he was awarded the Davy Medal by the Royal Society "in recognition of his distinguished work in physical chemistry and in polymer reactions".
[5] In 1956, he was awarded the Bakerian Medal by the Royal Society and gave its associated lecture; it was titled "Addition polymerization".
[5] His proposers were James Pickering Kendall, John Edwin MacKenzie, Ernest Ludlam, and Thomas Bolam.
[6] In the 1958 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for his services as secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and therefore granted the title sir.
[19] In 1990, the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis was established at the University of Cambridge, being named in his honour.