Manager, Research, Development & Commercialization - Innovation and Commercialization

Responsibilities:

Innovation Pipeline Development & Technology Platform Support

• Support the development and execution of Inolex’s innovation pipeline, technology platforms, and scientific roadmap to deliver differentiated ingredient technologies and business growth.
• Coordinate research priorities, technology roadmaps, stage-gate activities, technical milestones, and commercialization plans to advance innovation from concept through launch.
• Identify and evaluate internal and external technologies, emerging trends, competitive opportunities, and potential partnerships to strengthen portfolio differentiation and innovation growth.
• Conduct technology assessment through competitive intelligence, patent landscape review, scientific literature analysis, benchmarking, and data-driven experimentation to guide technical and business decisions.
• Apply expertise in chemistry, formulation science, structure-property relationships, and mechanisms of action to support ingredient design, performance optimization, intellectual property generation, technical differentiation, and commercialization readiness.

Commercialization Readiness & Launch Support

• Enable customer-facing teams through technical training, scientific storytelling, product knowledge, launch support materials, and commercialization guidance.
• Represent Inolex in selected customer, industry, technical, and strategic partnership engagements where innovation or commercialization expertise is required.

Project Leadership & Team Collaboration

• Lead assigned RD&C innovation projects and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovation excellence, technical rigor, and commercialization success.
• Establish clear project expectations, accountability, project management discipline, and standards for scientific execution and documentation.
• Build and strengthen capabilities in innovation, formulation science, technical documentation, knowledge management, and commercialization execution.
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, collaboration, continuous learning, and scientific excellence across project teams.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Deep expertise in chemistry, chemical engineering, physical chemistry, material science, formulation science, or related specialty chemical domains.
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, formulation interactions, structure-property relationships, mechanisms of action, application behavior, and performance characterization.
• Proven ability to support new ingredient or technology development, technical assessment, project execution, and commercialization readiness activities.
• Experience with IP strategy, prior art analysis, competitive intelligence, technical documentation, claims support, and patent development support.
• Ability to translate scientific innovation and technical data into accurate value propositions, customer benefits, technical narratives, and launch support materials.
• Strong project management, portfolio discipline, scientific judgment, cross-functional leadership, and ability to drive execution across multiple technical priorities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder engagement, technical writing, and scientific storytelling abilities.
• Demonstrated collaboration, influence, project leadership, and ability to work effectively across cross-functional technical and commercial teams.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Formulation Science, or related field required; M.S. or Ph.D. preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years with a B.S., 8+ years with an M.S., or 6+ years with a Ph.D. of relevant industry experience preferred for this manager-level innovation and commercialization scope.
• Experience in personal care, specialty chemicals, biotechnology, or related innovation-driven industries preferred; cosmetics or personal care industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting technical teams, innovation programs, formulation science, technical documentation, and commercialization readiness initiatives preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• This position requires on-site presence at an Inolex facility in Philadelphia, PA at least four days per week to support cross-functional collaboration and engagement with R&D, operations, technical service, and product commercialization teams.
• Occasional travel approximately 20–30% is required for internal meetings, customer engagements, industry conferences, and global collaboration as needed.
• Work is primarily performed in an office and laboratory environment; must be able to sit for extended periods, work at a computer, and participate in laboratory or formulation activities as required.

This company is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EOE/including disability/vets).