R&D Lab Manager

About the role

Leading beauty and personal care manufacturer located in Omaha, NE is seeking an R&D Manager to join its growing team. This hands-on role requires strong technical formulation expertise combined with proven people‑management and project leadership skills. You will lead a team of 5–8 formulation chemists and an R&D Lab Supervisor, overseeing product development across hair care, skin care, body care, specialty care, pet care, and household/industrial products.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of formulation chemists and R&D professionals.
• Oversee formulation development from initial concept through commercialization.
• Guide the team in formulation design, troubleshooting, optimization, and scale-up.
• Develop and optimize products to meet performance, cost, quality, and manufacturing requirements.
• Manage multiple R&D projects while ensuring timelines and deliverables are met.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Commercial, and Engineering teams.
• Collaborate with Innovation and Technical Sales to support customer projects, sample development, technical documentation, and customer presentations.
• Work directly with customers to understand technical needs and present formulation solutions.
• Support pilot batches, process validation, manufacturing scale‑up, and production troubleshooting.
• Oversee stability programs and coordinate stability, PET, and microbiological testing.
• Ensure accurate formulation, testing, and project documentation.
• Monitor R&D KPIs and provide reporting for business reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement, process standardization, and operational efficiency within the laboratory.
• Stay current on emerging ingredient technologies, formulation techniques, and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

• 10+ years of formulation experience within personal care manufacturing
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of direct management experience
• Knowledge of cosmetic regulatory requirements, including FDA, MOCRA, and EU regulations.

Schedule

Monday‑Friday 8AM – 5PM on site

Pay

$115k plus 10% target bonus