Manager Research & Innovation – Personal Care
ABOUT THE JOB
The incumbent will lead the Research & Development function, driving product innovation, formulation excellence, and end-to-end commercialization of personal care products. The role ensures development of safe, effective, compliant, and market-competitive products while aligning R&D strategy with business growth and brand objectives.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead development of new formulations across skincare, haircare, hygiene, and fragrance categories
• Drive innovation pipeline aligned with market trends such as clean beauty, herbal, dermatological, and consumer insights
• Oversee formulation design, stability testing, product optimization, and performance validation
• Approve formulations, specifications, and final product standards prior to commercialization
• Lead end-to-end product development from concept to market launch, ensuring timely execution
• Ensure product safety, efficacy, shelf-life, and regulatory compliance with local and international standards
• Collaborate with QA/QC teams for microbiological, quality, and safety evaluations
• Translate consumer insights into product concepts in coordination with Marketing and Brand teams
• Work closely with Production for lab-to-market scale-up, cost optimization, and manufacturing feasibility
• Review and approve SOPs, batch records, testing protocols, and technical documentation
• Oversee vendor development, raw material sourcing, and supplier approval processes
• Manage R&D budgets, laboratory resources, and cost efficiency initiatives
• Lead troubleshooting of critical formulation, stability, and production challenges
• Ensure effective knowledge transfer from R&D to Production, QA, and related functions
• Mentor, train, and evaluate R&D team members including chemists and lab staff
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in product innovation and laboratory operations
• Support development of export-ready and market-specific formulations for business expansion
• Explore modern tools and technologies including AI-based formulation research and trend analysis
Skills & Qualifications
• Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Pharmacy, or Chemical Engineering
• 8–12+ years of experience in R&D within FMCG, personal care, or cosmetics industry
• Strong expertise in cosmetic ingredients, emulsions, surfactants, preservatives, and fragrance systems
• Proven experience in product development, formulation design, and lab-to-market execution
• Deep understanding of stability testing, product safety, efficacy, and regulatory compliance
• Strong leadership, team management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to align R&D strategy with brand, business, and market requirements
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills
• Exposure to clean beauty, herbal, dermatological, or export product development is an advantage