Manager, Research, Development & Commercialization

Responsibilities
Essential functions include team leadership, hands-on application development, customer technical support, claims-supporting technical documentation, project execution, and laboratory-based technical problem solving.

Application Development & Prototype Formulation

• Lead the design and development of customer-ready prototype formulations that showcase the performance and value of Inolex ingredients and technologies.
• Provide application support for new ingredient innovation by translating emerging ingredient concepts into prototypes, performance demonstrations, application data, and customer-ready technical materials.
• Develop formulation concepts across personal care categories, including skin care, hair care, sun care, cleansing, hygiene, and other relevant application areas.
• Translate customer briefs, market trends, and performance requirements into practical formulation approaches that meet sensory, stability, cost, positioning, and claims-related objectives.
• Identify new application opportunities for existing ingredients and expand portfolio use across customer segments, product formats, and market needs.
• Ensure prototypes and demonstrators are technically robust, reproducible, well documented, and aligned with customer expectations and commercial support priorities.

Technical Service & Commercial Support

• Serve as a primary technical resource for customers, Sales, Marketing, distributors, and global technical service teams throughout the customer development process, from initial inquiry and formulation recommendation through evaluation, troubleshooting, and commercialization.
• Respond to technical inquiries and performance-related requests with timely, solutions-oriented guidance, including troubleshooting for compatibility, stability, processing, sensory attributes, ingredient interactions, and performance gaps.
• Support customer meetings, technical presentations, workshops, trainings, product demonstrations, launches, and conversions with clear formulation recommendations, prototypes, application data, and differentiated benefit stories.
• Capture customer feedback, formulation learnings, competitive observations, and market needs to inform portfolio positioning, future development, and customer-specific technical solutions.

Claims Support & Technical Validation

• Develop and execute formulation characterization and testing plans to support customer requirements, product positioning, and claims substantiation.
• Coordinate and interpret stability, rheology, sensory, compatibility, performance screening, efficacy, and other relevant application testing.
• Generate technical data packages, application guides, prototype summaries, formulation notes, white papers, technical bulletins, and claims-supporting documentation.
• Translate ingredient features, formulation performance, and technical data into clear customer-relevant and consumer-relevant benefits.
• Partner with Regulatory, Product Stewardship, Research, Marketing, and Sales to ensure claims support materials are scientifically sound, compliant, and customer-ready.

Project Management & Execution

• Manage multiple application development projects, customer technical requests, formulation studies, and claims support activities simultaneously.
• Define project objectives, timelines, deliverables, testing plans, and documentation requirements in alignment with commercial priorities.
• Track active customer briefs, prototype requests, technical service requests, and claims support deliverables.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and with high technical quality.
• Continuously improve application development workflows, documentation standards, technical service processes, and knowledge management systems.

Laboratory Practices & Technical Excellence

• Maintain high standards for laboratory safety, scientific rigor, formulation quality, documentation, and data integrity.
• Ensure hands-on formulation work, application testing, and prototype preparation follow established procedures and quality expectations.
• Promote consistent formulation practices, technical documentation standards, and application development best practices across the applications function.
• Support continuous learning, technical capability building, and knowledge sharing within the R&D&C and technical service organizations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop application scientists, formulation specialists, and technical service professionals, where applicable based on team structure and business needs.
• Set clear priorities, expectations, accountability measures, and development objectives aligned with business and customer needs.
• Foster a culture of customer focus, technical excellence, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Support talent development, technical capability building, and effective cross-functional collaboration across R&D&C, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory, Product Stewardship, and Operations.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong expertise in formulation science and application development across personal care categories.
• Deep understanding of ingredient functionality, formulation interactions, performance evaluation, and application testing methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience developing customer-ready prototypes, formulation guides, technical data packages, and claims-supporting materials.
• Strong ability to troubleshoot formulation challenges and provide practical, customer-relevant technical solutions.
• Ability to translate technical data and formulation performance into clear customer benefits and claims support.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, training, and customer-facing communication skills.
• Strong project management, prioritization, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple customer requests and application projects with speed, quality, and accountability.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Cosmetic Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, or related scientific discipline required; M.S. or Ph.D. preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of relevant industry experience with a B.S.; 8+ years with an M.S.; or 6+ years with a Ph.D.
• Experience in personal care, cosmetics, specialty ingredients, specialty chemicals, biotechnology, or related application-focused industries preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in formulation development, technical service, customer support, claims substantiation, and application testing required.
• Prior people leadership experience, experience supporting global or multi-region customers, and demonstrated success partnering with Sales and Marketing to support product adoption.

Physical Requirements:
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position requires regular hands-on laboratory work to support formulation development, prototype preparation, application testing, and technical troubleshooting.
• This position requires on-site presence at an Inolex’s Philadelphia, PA location to support laboratory activities, customer demonstrations, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Occasional travel, approximately 15-25%, may be required for customer visits, technical meetings, training, and industry conferences.
• Work is performed in both laboratory and office environments and requires use of standard laboratory equipment, computer systems, and documentation tools.

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