Director, Skincare Formulation Development, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

Director, Skincare Formulation Development, L'Oréal Research \& Innovation - Clark, New Jersey

Life is too short for a boring career, so build an extraordinary one with us. We believe your career should spark the same thrill and curiosity as your personal interests. Creativity drives everything we do, turning ideas into meaningful impact. With opportunities across brands, markets, and divisions, your growth knows no boundaries.

Who We Are

Join us at L'Oréal, the world's #1 beauty company present in over 150 markets. For over a century, we have been transforming; fueled by data, tech, innovation, and science. Together, we tackle big challenges while making sure we stay committed to making the world a more inclusive and a better place for everyone \& our planet.

At L'Oréal Research \& Innovation we are pushing the boundaries of Science \& Tech. We invest heavily in cutting-edge research, leveraging advanced technologies to understand skin, hair, and microbiome, while discovering new active ingredients and launching outperforming formulas. Our 4,100 L'Oréal R\&I experts leverage Science \& Technology to invent safe, trustable, sustainable \& responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people's lives.

We are seeking a visionary Director to lead our Skincare Formulation Development Team. In this role, you will provide managerial, technical, and operational leadership for the Skincare category, driving the long-term innovation strategy for high-potency, stabilized actives to maintain our global market-winning position.

A Day in the Life: As a Director in Skincare Development, your responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Innovation Leadership: Drive the long-term innovation strategy for high-potency, stabilized actives. Partner with Marketing and Medical Relations to develop "Procedure-Ready" formulations designed to optimize results from clinical treatments such as lasers, peels, and injectables.
• Global Portfolio Management: Lead brand efforts to frame a global innovation pipeline that identifies consumer need gaps and technical white spaces, ensuring a competitive and futuristic product catalog.
• Mastery of Formulation \& Safety: Oversee the complex officialization of formulas, particularly low-pH systems and high-concentration actives. You will ensure rigorous safety, microbiology, and stability clearances are met for every launch.
• Regulatory \& Compliance Agility: Navigate the evolving global regulatory landscape for OTC and professional cosmeceuticals, maintaining the Global Catalog with speed and precision.
• Team Leadership \& Upskilling: Manage and mentor a laboratory team of scientific professionals. You are responsible for prioritization, upskilling, talent retention, and maintaining a robust succession plan.
• Cross-Functional Hub: Act as the critical technical "hub" between Operations, Safety, Packaging, and International Marketing (DMI) to bring competitive products to market on time and within budget.
• Safety Advocacy: Lead by example in strengthening a world-class Safety Culture within the R\&I environment.

We Are Looking For: You are a strategic innovator and a seasoned leader viewed as an authority in the skincare industry.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in science or engineering is required. A Master's or Ph.D. in a natural science (Biology, Chemistry, etc.) or engineering (Chemical, Biomedical, Material Science) is highly preferred.
• Experience: 8-10\+ years of proven experience in Skincare Product Development. Extensive experience with Active Skincare and OTC products is a must-have requirement.
• Technical \& Strategic Mastery:
• Strong technical background in formulation with the ability to articulate and implement a long-term vision.
• Ability to think and plan strategically, with the creativity to think "outside the box" with resources.
• Solid knowledge of the global competitive landscape and consumer perceptions to create products with strong technical rationale.
• Leadership Skills: Exceptional management skills with a track record of leading, developing, and motivating teams of scientific professionals to achieve high-stakes brand goals.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills to work seamlessly across cross-functional and international teams.
• The ability to be onsite, in the office as this is an essential function of the position (required)
• Authorization to work in the United States on a full-time, permanent, ongoing basis without the need for legal sponsorship now or in the future (required)

What's In It For You

• A place for you to leave your comfort zone and grow beyond your potential (here, you'll be encouraged to try new things and take risks!)
• Real responsibility from day 1, there's no sitting on the sidelines at L'Oréal
• An environment where people of every ethnicity, social background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities are accepted, can speak up, will thrive and are celebrated!
• A place where you can contribute to something bigger! Many of our brands have societal /environmental causes to make concrete difference
• Competitive Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
• Base Salary Range: $126,900 - $184,000 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level)
• Hybrid Work Policy (up to 2 days Work From Home)
• Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays \& More!)
• Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L'Oréal's Internal Shop for Discounted Products, Monthly Mobile Allowance)
• Learning and Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch \& Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, \& More!)
• Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
• Access to Mental Health \& Wellness Programs

Don't meet every single requirement? At L'Oréal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We're committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination against any applicant for employment because of the individual's gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, visible and/or invisible disabilities, socio-economic and/or multicultural origins, health conditions, age, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law.