Sr Principal​/Principal Scientist Personal Care Formulation & Implementation

Sr Principal / Principal Scientist Personal Care Formulation & Implementation

Established in 1806 as a small soap and candle business in New York City, Colgate-Palmolive is now a truly global company with products sold in over 200 countries and territories under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, Haci Sakir, Suavitel, PCA SKIN, EltaMD, Filorga and Hello as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet.

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading consumer products company that serves hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide with brands and products across four core businesses – Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. We are committed to offering products that make lives healthier and more enjoyable, and programs that enrich communities around the world. Every day millions of people trust our products to care for themselves and the ones they love.

Our goal is to use our technology to create products that will continue to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live. A career at Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name! Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet.

Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

We are seeking an enthusiastic Principal Scientist to lead a segment of our dynamic Handsoap Personal Care R&D team. You will own the end-to-end product development lifecycle from concept to commercialization within the personal care category for North America. Your primary mission will be exploring and integrating cutting-edge material science and formulation fundamentals to drive next-generation innovations. This is an exceptional opportunity to scale global brands, influence technical strategies, and foster a high-performance culture of creativity and collaboration.

Lead, motivate, and develop the R&D team to foster a high-performance culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous technical growth.

Drive the exploration, integration, and scaling of new surfactant chemistry, rheology, and formulation innovations into body cleansing products.

Manage the entire product design and full development lifecycle, effectively leveraging both internal and external resources to ensure flawless execution.

Collaborate closely with cross-functional stakeholders—including Marketing, Supply Chain, Legal, and Regulatory—to validate new products and support business priorities.

Oversee critical technical documentation, including formula databases, claims support, standard operating procedures, and tech transfer checklists.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline
• At least 12 years of Research and Development experience within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry
• Minimum of 2 years of proven experience in direct people management and team leadership
• Demonstrated technical experience in the formulation, evaluation, and scale-up of personal care or cleansing products

Preferred Requirements:

• Masters Degree or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• Advanced technical knowledge of ingredient chemistry, surfactant interactions, emulsions, and OTC drug requirements
• Proficiency in statistical Design of Experiments (DOE) and measurement science
• Strong functional competencies in cross-organizational communication, with a proven ability to succinctly present complex technical details to non-technical business partners
• Fa…