Description
Associate Principal Scientist, 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 4,100 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 Associate Principal Scientist in the Professional Skin Management Application Domain, you will provide advanced technical leadership across key projects in peri-procedure and procedure-mimic skincare. Drawing on deep expertise in skin biology, active ingredients, and formulation, you will guide technical strategy, resolve complex formulation challenges, and help deliver innovative prototypes from concept through transfer.
You will collaborate with upstream Advanced Research, downstream Development, and transversal teams locally and globally. You will also strengthen the technical capabilities of colleagues through mentoring and knowledge sharing, contributing to the scientific rigor and overall performance of the Domain. This position reports to the AVP of the Professional Skin Management Application Domain.
A Day in the Life:
• Project Leadership: Lead projects from framing through launch by proposing technical innovations that are new, better, or different. Gather stakeholder input and define success criteria; collaborate with transversal partners; identify project risks and develop and implement mitigation plans; and ensure deliverables meet project requirements and L’Oréal quality standards.
• Formulation & Technical Leadership: Lead formulation strategy and product development across multiple projects. Apply advanced expertise in skin biology, active ingredients, and formulation to address complex technical 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.
• Modeling Collaboration: Coordinate with Advanced Research, Development, EI, PD/Pilot, SRCM, DIPI, Analytical, and other partners to support alignment from project inception through technology transfer.
• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Mentor scientists and share expertise to build technical knowledge, scientific rigor, and problem-solving capability across the team.
• 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.
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: 5+ years of experience (PhD) or 8+ years (Master's/Bachelor's) in skin formulation development, with a demonstrated track record of technical leadership.
• Technical Expertise: Proven ability to develop innovative prototypes and deliver robust technical solutions within project constraints.
• 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.
• Collaborative Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to work across upstream and downstream groups and influence multifunctional partners. Experience sharing expertise and developing the technical capabilities of colleagues.
• 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 United States is required. No immigration support/sponsorship offered for this role (required).
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: $107,600 - $153,300 (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.
