Director, Analytical Chemistry, Digital, Innovation & Expertise, L'Oreal Research & Innovation

Director, Analytical Chemistry, Digital, Innovation & Expertise, L’Oréal Research & Innovation

We are seeking a Director to lead the Analytical Chemistry team at our state‑of‑the‑art research facility in Clark, New Jersey, supporting the Analytical Innovation & Expertise Pillar. In this role you will provide strategic leadership to ensure the business receives the highest quality data and insights needed to further our beauty care business. You will manage and develop the innovation & expertise analytical team to achieve corporate goals.

• Manage the daily functional work of a team of analytical chemists (7) with diverse expertise. Assess team needs, define and target specific, measurable goals, and assign work in accordance with business priority and individual capability.
• Be a creative and strategic leader with a passion for innovation, building a forward‑thinking outlook, removing barriers, developing people, and continuously thriving to raise the technical skills and expertise of the staff.
• Champion innovation and lead the way to take the analytical Innovation & Expertise program to the next level. Identify opportunity areas and create a plan to implement, bring to life, and promote the benefits with business partners.
• Shape short‑ and long‑term strategy and technology choices for the team, emphasizing predictive chemical stability using advanced modeling and data visualization tools.
• Guide trace, impurity, and degradation product analysis based on current regulatory requirements. Bring a strong experimental background and mass spectrometry skills to solve technical problems and develop novel methods.
• Lead development and management of stability programs (including OTC and cosmetics). Create, review, approve, and implement stability study protocols and timelines, including sample collection, storage conditions, and analytical testing.
• Serve as an SME for analytical methodologies and stability programs during internal and external audits.
• Design and lead method development, validation, and transfer (internally and at contract research organizations) ensuring compliance with relevant ICH, GMPs, and regulatory guidelines.
• Evaluate stability data using statistical analysis to establish product shelf‑life, assess degradation pathways, trends, and support product launches.
• Manage contract manufacturing organizations and handle vendor selection, qualification, and contracting activities.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, including process development, formulation, manufacturing, QA, and regulatory affairs to align testing activities with project objectives and timelines.
• Represent the voice of the analytical department in product development activities, providing strategic leadership and executing testing strategies across brands to meet timelines.
• Create an open and collaborative environment fostering team communication, enabling people to perform at their best.
• Provide information to partners and upper management by preparing analyses, reports, and recommendations.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of safety policies, regulations, and company policies.
• Drive problem‑solving and provide technically sound recommendations.
• Manage multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines.

• Education:
  
  PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific/engineering discipline.
• Experience:
  
  7+ years in analytical chemistry supporting OTC and/or stability programs, with strong GMP environment experience.
• Strong experience managing stability programs from product development to launch.
• Strong knowledge of statistics and management of large data sets (chemometrics, machine learning, predictive analytics) and data visualization.
• Regulatory knowledge around trace, impurity, and degradation product analysis and its implementation into stability programs.
• Experience overseeing and working with contract research organizations.
• Strong method development, validation, and implementation under regulated or non‑regulated environments.
• Expertise in quality systems, GMP compliance, ICH guidelines, compendial standards, and FDA regulations for OTC manufacturing, method validations,…