Research & Development Manager

About the role

The R&D Manager, Product Lifecycle will lead the management and optimization of the existing product portfolio. This role is responsible for driving reformulation initiatives, cost optimization, compliance updates, and ensuring consistent product performance across all current line items.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of reformulation initiatives across the existing product portfolio
• Identify and drive opportunities for cost optimization (COGS), performance improvement, and product upgrades
• Manage lifecycle pipeline prioritization, ensuring alignment with business, regulatory, and operational needs
• Ensure product performance, quality, and consistency across batches, markets, and manufacturing sites
• Proactively identify opportunities for new claims, performance enhancements, and portfolio upgrades
• Partner closely with Procurement, Regulatory, Quality, Packaging, and Operations to deliver changes effectively
• Oversee technically packaging updates and compatibility to ensure product integrity
• Support SKU rationalization and portfolio optimization decisions
• Lead and develop chemists and lab techs, building strong reformulation and technical capability within the team
• AI-driven insights and modern innovation approaches to accelerate development and decision-making

Requirements

• Required Qualifications:
• Expertise in hands-on formulation of hair care or personal care products with an emphasis on reformulation
• Proven track record of delivering reformulation projects tied to cost savings, compliance, and performance improvement
• Strong understanding of raw material functionality, cost drivers, and substitution strategies
• Deep knowledge of surfactants, conditioning systems, emulsions, polymers, and rheology modifiers
• Experience transferring formulas from lab to manufacturing scale and troubleshooting scale-up challenges
• Strong understanding of global cosmetic regulations (US, EU preferred) and compliance-driven reformulations
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities
• Strong business acumen with ability to connect technical decisions to financial and consumer impact
• Excellent communication skills with ability to translate technical data into clear business insights
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• Skills:
• Expertise in hands-on formulation of hair care or personal care products with an emphasis on reformulation
• Proven track record of delivering reformulation projects tied to cost savings, compliance, and performance improvement
• Strong understanding of raw material functionality, cost drivers, and substitution strategies
• Deep knowledge of surfactants, conditioning systems, emulsions, polymers, and rheology modifiers
• Experience transferring formulas from lab to manufacturing scale and troubleshooting scale-up challenges
• Strong understanding of global cosmetic regulations (US, EU preferred) and compliance-driven reformulations
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities
• Strong business acumen with ability to connect technical decisions to financial and consumer impact
• Excellent communication skills with ability to translate technical data into clear business insights
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills