Senior Hair Care Formulation Chemist; CDMO​/R&D

Senior Hair Care Formulation Chemist (CDMO / R&D)

Job Posting
Jul. 6, 2026

Job Title: Senior Hair Care Formulation Chemist (CDMO / R&D)

Experience: 10+ Years |
Location: In-Person - Agoura Hills, California |
Job Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking an advanced, highly experienced Hair Care Formulation Chemist with a minimum of 10 years of hands‑on R&D experience. We are looking for a chemistry expert who deeply understands chemical reactions, ingredient interactions, and micro‑molecular compatibility. This role requires a proactive innovator who can independently research market trends, initiate new projects, and thrive under pressure. You will be responsible for creating, troubleshooting, and optimizing high‑performance, cost‑effective hair care and smoothing systems from scratch while navigating evolving global regulatory frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced Formulation & Chemistry: Formulate hair relaxers, hair smoothing systems, and daily hair products from scratch. Analyze raw material actives and their chemical compatibility.
• Innovation & Research: Proactively research scientific literature, raw material advancements, and market trends to pitch and initiate innovative new product concepts.
• Performance Testing & Validation: Conduct rigorous performance testing on human hair wefts to evaluate efficacy, strength, elasticity, and texture.
• Salon Trial Management: Coordinate and monitor live salon testing on human clients to gather real‑world feedback on ease of use, safety, and visual results.
• Data‑Driven Optimization: Analyze data from weft and salon testing to create structured reports. Use these insights to drive formula modifications and fine‑tune products to their final, market‑ready stage.
• Product Efficacy & Cost: Develop and reformulate products to achieve maximum performance while maintaining affordable, competitive cost structures.
• Testing & Evaluation: Design, run, and monitor stability and compatibility studies for formulas prior to commercial launch.
• Lab Operations: Utilize laboratory equipment to formulate and measure physical properties, including pH, viscosity, and specific gravity.
• Scale‑Up & Manufacturing: Work closely with manufacturing teams during pilot runs, scale‑up, and commercial production. Ensure proper handling of chemical batches.
• Global Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all formulas strictly comply with current MoCRA, FDA/OTC, and EU regulations, including preparing safety substantiation dossiers and assisting with EU cosmetic product registration.
• Documentation: Manage formulation records, raw material specifications, and technical dossiers.

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in chemistry, or Cosmetic Science
• Experience: 10+ years of proven, hands‑on formulation experience in the hair care sector.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Deep understanding of chemical reactions, colloid/surface chemistry, polymer science, and ingredient interactions. Extensive knowledge of hair relaxer/smoothing chemistry is required.
• Regulatory Mastery: Comprehensive knowledge of US and international regulations, specifically MoCRA compliance requirements (product listing, facility registration, allergen labeling, and safety substantiation documentation) alongside EU cosmetic regulations.
• Resilience & Problem‑Solving: Exceptional stress tolerance. Proven capability to handle fast‑paced environments, tight delivery timelines, and unexpected formulation failures with a calm, solution‑oriented mindset.
• Testing
  
  Skills:
  
  Proven ability to design and execute hair weft testing protocols and translate qualitative salon feedback into quantitative data.
• Software Proficiency: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat for data reporting and technical documentation.