R&D Formulation Scientist

Hourly/Salary Compensation Range: $25-32/hour

Contract Length: 8 Months, with strong likelihoods of extension

Location: Summit, NJ

Hours: 8am-5pm

Start Date: ASAP

Interview Process: 2 rounds

Client Overview:

Our client is a global leader in consumer healthcare, delivering science-backed products that help millions of people improve their health and well-being every day. With a portfolio of trusted and recognizable brands spanning self-care, skincare, beauty, and essential health, the organization is committed to innovation, quality, and consumer trust. Operating in more than 100 countries, they combine deep scientific expertise with consumer insights to develop products that support healthier lives around the world.

Job Description:

The Formulation Scientist will support the Skin Health R&D team, contributing to both innovation and base business (commercialized products) within the skincare portfolio. This role will focus on formulation development, lab execution, and scale-up activities for consumer skincare products, including anti-aging formulations.

The ideal candidate will work under the guidance of senior scientists while also taking ownership of experiments, technical problem-solving, and project execution.

Skill Set Requirements:

• Support end-to-end product development for skincare formulations, including innovation and commercialization of existing products
• Execute laboratory experiments, including formulation development, testing, and analysis of skincare products
• Assist in product design, formulation optimization, and process development/scale-up activities
• Conduct Design of Experiments (DOE) to support investigations and product improvements
• Process formulated products at lab scale and support transition to manufacturing
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, manufacturing, and external partners to support project execution
• Analyze consumer insights and contribute to innovation pipeline development
• Maintain accurate documentation, including technical reports and experimental data
• Ensure compliance with company procedures, cGMP standards, and regulatory requirements
• Support troubleshooting efforts related to formulation, supply disruptions, or product upgrades

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or related field
• Strong foundation of batching experience
• 1–4 years of experience in formulation development (academic or industry)
• Experience with skincare, or cosmetic products
• Strong foundation in formulated systems (emulsions, surfactants, suspensions, structured liquids)
• Hands-on laboratory experience executing experiments and processing formulations
• Understanding of material chemistry and basic process equipment
• Experience supporting process development or scale-up activities
• Strong communication, documentation, and organizational skills
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience formulating anti-aging products
• Familiarity with cGMP and regulatory standards
• Experience working with external manufacturing partners
• Exposure to technical project management or cross-functional collaboration
• Ability to work independently while contributing within a team environment