Sr Manager, Soft Product Innovation Lab

Job Description

About the Team

The R&D Soft Product Innovation Team at Harry’s is responsible for all personal care category launches from concept to market. We are a team of researchers and product developers who are on a mission to create things people like more. And now, we are building our own internal formulation laboratory in Wayne, NJ to further our innovation wheelhouse. As our brands continue to grow, the Soft Product Laboratory will be a key driver for new product innovation and continuous improvement, raising the bar for product excellence.

About the Role

As the pioneer team member of the Soft Product Laboratory, the Senior Chemist will help lead the global development of new product introductions, and play a key role for improvement of multiple personal care categories for the Harry’s, Flamingo, and Headquarters brands, in very close partnership with the PD Team. You will help bring products to market that meet our customer’s needs, true to all our brand positionings. You will also help maintain quality of our current product portfolios and improve efficiencies with supplier relations.

We seek a strong team player with a passion and appreciation for creating products that drive performance with pleasing aesthetics, and rigor to meet challenging timelines. The candidate should be energized by working in a fast-paced, creative environment, and have prior formulation experience in consumer beauty products, with a desire to build a foundation for future growth.

Over time, the Senior Chemist will help build and lead a team to support additional brands.

What you will accomplish:

Innovation:

• Participate as a key stakeholder in the concept ideation process for the innovation pipeline.
• Create innovative formulas that meet performance and aesthetic briefs, within defined pricing and timeline allotted. Personal care categories include body, face, and hair.
• Assess and track formulation performance, according to stability guidelines and applicable regulations.
• Demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness in proactively identifying and proposing solutions to issues that may arise during product development or in transfer to manufacturing
• Maintain close awareness of scientific literature, patents, raw material technology, processing methodology, and marketing trends required to perform innovative product development.
• Attend sourcing trips, pilots, first production as needed.

Continuous Improvement:

• Identify and manage opportunities for continuous improvement of current portfolio- includes root-cause analysis, cost-savings initiatives, and tech transfer assistance as needed.
• Work cross-functionally and manage third-party relationships to execute on improvement strategies.

Lab Management:

• Develop stability protocols and manage in-house stability
• Build upon the laboratory process and oversee a safe and orderly laboratory environment.
• Ensure precise lab notebook record keeping- including formulations, processes, specs, and conclusions are reported to the R&D network. Manage raw material stocks and packaging inventory, ensure traceability of all needed information.

This should describe you:

• Product Developer at heart – Excited by new products, technologies, formats, and how they interact with one another to create the ultimate user experience, down to the last detail, have pride in the work and development of creating things.
• Creative problem solver - Energized by puzzles, and can't sleep until a solution is found.
• Life-long learner: Hunger for knowledge, admits when they don’t know the answer and diligently works to find it.
• Proactive doer: Gets things done before being asked to do them.
• Process/systems builder: Creates new systems/processes so that every detail has a place and every place has its detail
• Relentless commitment to achieving goals and objectives: Won't give up until key stakeholders align and commit (internal colleagues and external suppliers), maintaining positive relationships for long term success
• Professional, enthusiastic, a solid team player and possess a drive for results.
• Extremely organized, dependable and self-motivated with the ability to excel in a hands-on, fast paced environment.
• You thrive on direct, honest, and supportive communication.
• You are always thinking about how to help the teammates around you excel
• To you, there’s nothing more exciting than a new challenge
• Sense of humor -- we take our work seriously and ourselves un-seriously

Here's who you'll work with:

• You’ll report into the Senior Director of Soft Product Innovation
• You’ll work with internal teams including Product Development, Product Research, Packaging, Quality, Project Management, Sourcing and External Suppliers and Contract Manufacturers.

Requirements:

• Bachelors in Chemistry, Biology, or related field of science
• Proven track record of high level performance with 8-11 years of experience in cosmetics, personal care, or health & beauty industries.
• Direct experience working in dynamic teams, driving process, interacting with vendors and key partners to ensure delivery of projects against aggressive timelines.
• Demonstrated analytical abilities and negotiating skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively at all levels in the organization and with suppliers to manage multiple projects and changing business needs.
• Responsible, dependable, self-starter/proactive with strong initiative.
• Willing and able to travel (post-Covid) as needed - domestic and international.

Harry’s Inc. started in 2013 with simple, fairly priced products that delivered an amazing experience to guys every day. Since then, Harry’s expanded to the UK, developed relationships with retailers such as Target and Walmart, expanded our grooming brand into a personal care powerhouse, and launched a women’s brand called Flamingo.

The key to our success? Our amazing people. From chemists, mechanical engineers, CX associates, to creative directors, sourcing managers, and logistics specialists, Harry’s team is comprised of some of the most brilliant, diverse, and humble people you’ll ever meet.

Our brands answer unmet consumer needs, but our company is a place of inclusion and innovation that attracts some of the brightest minds across industries, geographies, and backgrounds. Whether we have a team of 3 or 300, our core values and our startup mentality remain; we value continuous improvement and learning, teamwork and collaboration, creative problem solving, and open and direct dialogue and feedback. Come for the coffee and free products, stay for the amazing, passionate culture.

Harry’s is committed to bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives. We strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do great work together.

Harry’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. We recruit, hire and promote into all job levels the most qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), parental status, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, transgender status, sexual orientation, marital, family or partnership status, political affiliation or activities, military service, domestic violence victim status, arrest/conviction record, sexual or reproductive health decisions, caregiver status, credit history immigration status, unemployment status, traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles or any other status protected under applicable federal, state and local laws. Harry’s commitment to providing equal employment opportunities extends to all aspects of employment, including job assignment, compensation, discipline and access to benefits and training.

We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our company.