Technical Director

SUMMARY / OBJECTIVE

The Technical Director is responsible for leading all scientific, technical, and innovation functions for Bright Innovation Labs, a next generation contractor manufacturer specializing in clean, high-performance personal care, beauty, and wellness products. This role will direct formulation strategy, manage new product development, and guide the translation of innovation into scalable, commercially successful products that reflect Bright's leadership and sustainable science-driven solutions.

PRINCIPAL

RESPONSIBILITIES Lead Product Innovation

• Direct all phases of research, formulation, and product development for new and existing personal care products from ideation and prototyping to validation, scale-up, and product launch.
• Define and own the long-term innovation roadmap and technical strategy across all product categories.
• Champion Bright's leadership in clean formulation, sustainability, and functional performance.

Drive Strategic Execution

• Oversee the innovation process from concept through regulatory approval, pilot, production, and commercialization.
• Partner with executive leadership to align innovation priorities with corporate objectives, financial targets, and customer needs.
• Lead technical due diligence and feasibility assessments for new technologies, ingredient platforms, and customer needs.

Build, Inspire & Lead Teams

• Manage and mentor a multidisciplinary R&D organization of scientists, chemists, and technical support staff.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and scientific excellence where innovation and accountability thrive.
• Develop organizational capability through talent development, resource planning, and technology investments.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Business Development, Account Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Regulatory teams to ensure on-time, on-budget product launches.
• Lead the technical interface with customers, communicating formulation rationale, testing outcomes, and regulatory positioning with clarity and credibility.
• Coordinate the stage gate process, ensuring cross-functional awareness and alignment for each development milestone.

Technical & Commercial Excellence

• Translate consumer insights into meaningful formulation strategies and new technologies that differentiate Bright and its customers.
• Identify, evaluate, and integrate new raw materials, actives, and processing technologies that differentiate Bright and its customers.
• Establish and maintain rigorous technical standards for documentation, claims substantiation, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead scale-up activities by defining key process parameters, ensuring successful pilot-to-commercial transfer.

Leadership & Communication

• Serve as the senior technical voice within the organization, representing R&D in executive meetings, customer engagements, and strategic partnerships.
• Maintain proactive communication with senior management on project status, risks, and opportunities.
• Nurture a culture of customer obsession, entrepreneurism and innovation.

QUALIFICATIONS Education

• Master's or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, or a related scientific discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive R&D and product development leadership in Personal Care, Beauty, or OTC categories.
• Proven record of developing and commercializing breakthrough products with measurable business impact.
• Experience leading teams and projects in a fast-paced, customer centric manufacturing environment.

Technical & Leadership Competencies

• Deep expertise in formulation science, ingredient functionality, claims validation, and stability/compatibility testing.
• Strong grasp of global regulatory frameworks (FDA, EU, ISO, etc.) sustainability principles, and IP strategy.
• Demonstrated success in scaling lab formulations to commercial production.
• Strategic thinker who can connect scientific discovery to market-driven innovation.
• Excellent communicator capable of translating technical concepts into compelling business narratives.
• Inspirational leader with a track record of developing high-performing technical teams.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This role will supervise all chemists, scientists, technicians, and engineers related to the department.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

Monday – Friday 8am to 5pm

TRAVEL

Travel as required (estimated 15%) to perform duties.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS

N/A

WORK AUTHORIZATION

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. as a pre-condition of…