Senior Scientist II, R&I Professional Skin Management, Application Domain

Senior Scientist II, Professional Skin Management, Application Domain, L'Oréal Research & Innovation - Clark, New Jersey

Life is too short for a boring career, so build an extraordinary one with us. We believe your career should spark the same thrill and curiosity as your personal interests. Creativity drives everything we do, turning ideas into meaningful impact. With opportunities across brands, markets, and divisions, your growth knows no boundaries.

Who We Are: Join us at L'Oréal, the world's #1 beauty company present in over 150 markets. For over a century, we have been transforming; fueled by data, tech, innovation, and science. Together, we tackle big challenges while making sure we stay committed to making the world a more inclusive and a better place for everyone & our planet.

At L'Oréal Research & Innovation, we are pushing the boundaries of Science & Tech. We invest heavily in cutting-edge research, leveraging advanced technologies to understand skin, hair, and microbiome, while discovering new active ingredients and launching outperforming formulas. Our 3,500 L'Oréal R&I experts leverage Science & Technology to invent safe, trustable, sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people's lives.

The Role: As a Senior Scientist II in the Professional Skin Management Application Domain, you are a technical leader within the Domain of Application (DA). You will take full ownership and accountability for the technical strategy of multiple projects—identifying innovative raw materials and leveraging advanced formulation expertise to drive the technical development of high-performance peri-procedure or procedure-mimic skincare. Your expertise and rigor are essential in formulating for active stability and delivery systems, ensuring robust technical solutions solve complex formulation challenges. You will collaborate closely with upstream Advanced Research, downstream Development, and transversal teams, ensuring project quality, scientific rigor, and seamless technology transfer. This position reports to the AVP of the Professional Skin Management Application Domain.

A Day in the Life:

• Formulation & Technical Leadership: Lead the development and optimization of professional skin formulations across multiple projects, taking full ownership and accountability for the technical approach and strategic direction. Identify and evaluate suitable raw materials and technologies to solve complex formulation challenges.
• Active Stability & Delivery: Apply advanced cosmetic technology knowledge to ensure the stability of high-potency actives and optimize their delivery into the skin for maximum clinical efficacy, often pioneering new approaches or technologies.
• Skin Biology Integration: Leverage deep expertise in skin biology and ingredient chemistry to design and guide experimental plans that align with professional skin management needs, anticipating challenges and proactively addressing them.
• Technical Mentorship: Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior scientists and colleagues within the Domain, fostering scientific rigor and skill development across the team.
• Collaborative Partnership: Act as a senior technical bridge between innovation partners, working effectively with and often influencing cross-functional groups (EI, PD/Pilot, SRCM, DIPI, Analytical, etc.) to deliver results within and across project frames.
• Digital Transformation: Champion the use of digital tools, data-driven methodologies, and Design of Experiments (DoE) to accelerate formulation development and predictive modeling, driving adoption across the team.
• Strategic Contribution: Contribute to the technical roadmap and strategic priorities of the Application Domain, identifying emerging technologies and opportunities for innovation.

We Are Looking For:

• Education: A Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Biochemistry, Biological Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science, Surface and Interface Science, Physical Chemistry, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering is required.
• Experience: 2+ years of experience (PhD) or 5-9+ years (Master's/Bachelor's) in skin formulation development, with a demonstrated track record of technical leadership.
• Technical Expertise: demonstrated expertise in cosmetic formulation. Strong knowledge of skin biology and active ingredients. Proven experience formulating for active stability and delivery systems is required.
• Applied Research Mindset: Proven ability to independently identify and drive technical solutions for highly complex problems. Demonstrates strong ownership, an entrepreneurial mindset, and sound scientific judgment under ambiguity.
• Digital Proficiency: Demonstrated experience using digital tools and data-driven methodologies (e.g., DoE, predictive modeling) to accelerate innovation; ability to champion adoption among peers is preferred.
• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to lead multiple concurrent projects, prioritize tasks, manage timelines, and navigate a matrix organization effectively, including at times guiding cross-functional collaborators.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Experience mentoring or guiding junior scientists, with strong ability to influence without formal authority.
• Communication: Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical data to both technical and non-technical global audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• The ability to be onsite in the office, as this is an essential function of the position (required).
• The ability to lift 35 lbs (15.8 kg) (required).
• Authorization to work in the US is required. No visa sponsorship is offered for this role.

What’s In It For You

• A place for you to leave your comfort zone and grow beyond your potential (here, you’ll be encouraged to try new things and take risks!)
• Real responsibility from day 1, there’s no sitting on the sidelines at L’Oréal
• An environment where people of every ethnicity, social background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities are accepted, can speak up, will thrive and are celebrated!
• A place where you can contribute to something bigger! Many of our brands have societal /environmental causes to make concrete difference
• Base Salary Range: $90,200 - $128,500 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level) 
• Competitive Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
• Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)
• Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L’Oréal’s Internal Shop for Discounted Products, Monthly Mobile Allowance)
• Learning and Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)
• Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
• Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs

Don’t meet every single requirement? At L'Oréal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We’re committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination against any applicant for employment because of the individual’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, visible and/or invisible disabilities, socio-economic and/or multicultural origins, health conditions, age, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law.