Senior Scientist II, Photoprotection Domain, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

Senior Scientist II, Photoprotection Application Domain, L'Oréal Research & Innovation – Clark, New Jersey

We are seeking a Senior Scientist II to join our Photoprotection Application Domain team at our Clark, New Jersey facility. In this role, you will serve as a Project Leader
, managing a worldwide scientific network, partnering with leading internal and external collaborators, and coordinating the project core team alongside critical supporting teams. You will drive the translation of cutting‑edge discoveries into the next generation of sun care technology – leading projects and teams toward successfully achieving key directives while remaining actively engaged in the lab to drive crucial formulation, analysis, and characterization.

• Lead as a Project Champion:
  Drive high‑impact research projects from conception to final delivery. Manage, coordinate, and align the project core team and cross‑functional supporting teams to successfully achieve strategic project directives.
• Coordinate Cross‑Functional Collaborations:
  Act as the central connector across borders and disciplines – engaging with fellow scientists, global R&I counterparts, academic institutions, and external partners to continuously expand our expertise and unlock new scientific possibilities.
• Oversee Research and Testing Strategies:
  Design, execute, and steer comprehensive research and testing strategies. Partner with global teams to ensure product robustness, scientific rigor, and the highest standards of quality and performance – overseeing the transition from lab bench to consumer reality.
• Translate Science into Business Impact:
  Synthesize complex research findings into clear, compelling insights to drive technology transfer to our Development Laboratories and inform L’Oréal’s broader innovation pipeline.
• Maintain Hands‑on Lab Excellence:
  Perform laboratory work for complex analysis, characterization, and formulation. Integrate innovative raw materials and pioneering formulation strategies to set new benchmarks in photoprotection performance, sensoriality, and sustainability.
• Champion Scientific Curiosity & Mentorship:
  Deepen our collective understanding of UV filters, photoprotection mechanisms, and sun care formulation science while exploring emerging domains such as photochemistry, spectroscopy and mentoring junior team members.

• Education:
  • PhD in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related discipline is required. Candidates with a Master’s degree and more than 4 years of relevant formulation research and project leadership experience will also be considered.
• Experience:
  • Proven research success in a physical science field, with a demonstrated ability to take complex projects from scientific conception through to robust, tangible outcomes.
  • Demonstrated experience acting as a project leader, with a track record of coordinating multi‑disciplinary core teams and aligning supporting stakeholders.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Expertise in one or more of the following: optics, imaging, spectroscopy, photochemistry, UV science, or sunscreen formulation technology.
  • Strong hands‑on laboratory experience in formulation research, including design of experiments, characterization of raw materials, and finished formulas.
  • Proven capability in managing project milestones, timelines, and deliverables in a highly fast‑paced, matrixed environment.
  • Experience in medical sciences is a plus but not required.
• Soft Skills & Attributes:
  • A Project Leader – strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to motivate and align diverse teams toward a shared vision.
  • An Innovator – challenge the status quo, ask bold questions, and relentlessly strive for scientific and operational excellence.
  • An Entrepreneur – take full ownership of your project scope with courage, transparency, and a results‑driven mindset.
  • An Integrator – foster seamless cooperation and agility across core and supporting teams, actively encouraging open communication and knowledge‑sharing.
  • A Problem‑Solver – demonstrate sound judgment and creative thinking, leveraging all available expertise to…