Product Development Manager, Formulation - Private Label

About the role

Company L&R Distributors is seeking a Product Development Manager of Formulation to lead high-impact product development initiatives across various beauty categories. This is a hands-on technical role responsible for driving products from concept through commercialization, including formulation, testing, and manufacturing scale-up. The role offers a unique opportunity to work on both established, shelf-ready products and new product innovation for major retail channels. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in formulation development, contract manufacturing, and OTC products, along with a strong ability to lead cross-functional execution and deliver high-quality consumer products at scale. The Product Development Manager, Formulation team member reports to the Vice President of Product Development.

Anticipated Start Date: January 12th, 2027

Responsibilities

• Drive formulation development to achieve targeted performance, sensory attributes, appearance, and claims
• Coordinate validation, and commercialization readiness across product lines
• Manage timelines, critical paths, and cost considerations for development and scale-up
• Drive lab, pilot, and full-scale production in partnership with contract manufacturers
• Ensure smooth transition into manufacturing with consistent quality and supply
• Serve as day-to-day driver for OTC and SPF product development, under the guidance of the VP of Product Development
• Partner with Regulatory to support claims substantiation and ensure compliance with FDA and U.S. regulations
• Align formulations, testing protocols, and documentation with on-pack claims
• Coordinate development testing, including stability, compatibility, and performance validation
• Ensure formulations are compatible with packaging and meet regulatory expectations prior to launch
• Act as the primary day-to-day contact across a network of contract manufacturing partners
• Coordinate formulation development, testing, scale-up, and technology transfer
• Collaborate with Packaging teams to ensure formula–package compatibility and aligned timelines
• Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to drive execution
• Maintain clear documentation and communicate development progress to stakeholders
• Drive end