Director, Open Innovation Technology Partnering, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

About the role

The Director of Open Innovation Technology Partnering at L'Oréal Research & Innovation - Clark, New Jersey, plays a pivotal role in scouting and orchestrating high-impact innovation partnerships. This role is critical in advancing L'Oréal's innovation agenda and ensuring that every partnership pursued contributes meaningfully to the company's product portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Scout the future of beauty — identifying new, unique, and disruptive technological opportunities from external partners across North America, from early-stage startups to larger corporates, through a dynamic combination of active networking, ecosystem immersion, and cutting-edge digital scouting tools.
• Make the calls that shape the pipeline — analyzing and rigorously selecting the most strategically valuable external opportunities in close alignment with internal R&I stakeholders, ensuring every partnership we pursue advances L'Oréal's innovation agenda with purpose and precision.
• Orchestrate cross-functional transformation — coordinating the cross-functional project taskforces and global counterparts across Advanced Research, Safety, Regulatory, Claims, Legal, IP, Business Development, Formulation, and Operations to drive the full journey from technology evaluation through to the development phase and commercial readiness.
• Build the contractual foundation for collaboration — working hand-in-hand with Open Innovation Business Development, Legal, and IP teams to establish the right partnership frameworks that protect L'Oréal's interests while enabling bold, fast-moving innovation with external partners.
• Own and grow L'Oréal's innovation ecosystem — building and maintaining a robust, high-value network of startups, VCs, accelerators, incubators, and key opinion leaders operating across the most relevant scientific fields and industries, and positioning L'Oréal as the partner of choice for the world's most disruptive innovators.

Requirements

• A completed MS or PhD in biology / biotechnology / biochemistry / chemistry / formulation / material science or engineering required.
• 7–10+ years of relevant experience in open innovation, venture capital, or a startup environment is required, with a demonstrated track record of identifying, evaluating, and managing high-impact innovation partnerships from concept through to development.
• Strong scientific and technical knowledge across one or more of the following domains: beauty, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, advanced materials, or diagnostics — with the intellectual curiosity and breadth to engage credibly across adjacent fields.
• Proven project management experience in complex, cross-functional, fast-moving environments — with the rigor to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and the agility to pivot when the landscape shifts.
• Robust analytical skills, with the ability to assess both the scientific merit and the strategic business value of emerging technologies with speed and confidence.

Qualifications

• Achieved a strong academic background in a relevant field.
• Experience in identifying and evaluating high-impact innovation partnerships.
• Proven ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Ability to build and maintain a robust innovation ecosystem.

Skills

• Strong scientific and technical knowledge across relevant fields.
• Project management experience in complex, cross-functional environments.
• Analytical skills to assess scientific merit and strategic business value.
• Networking and ecosystem-building abilities.
• Communication and influencer skills to engage and align stakeholders.
• Resilience and adaptability to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
• Entrepreneurial mindset to take ownership and act decisively.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401K, pension plan, flexible time off, access to company perks, learning and development opportunities, employee resource groups, and mental health & wellness programs.

Pay

$126,900 - $184,000 base salary range, depending on a variety of job-related factors including geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level.

Schedule

This is a full-time hybrid role, requiring the incumbent to be onsite at L'Oréal's research center in Clark, New Jersey, at least 3 days per week as an essential function of the position.