Senior R&D Chemist - Global

WHAT ON EARTH IS DECIEM?

We are a collective of disrupters and doers, of creatives and scientists, with a mission to reimagine the world of beauty.

Since inception, our vertically integrated structure, including our own laboratories, manufacturing, retail stores, and brand infrastructure, have enabled us to rapidly identify opportunities and deliver quality. Home to The Ordinary, NIOD, AVESTAN, and other emerging brands, our goal is to create with purpose. We were founded on the principle of doing everything that others don’t. Because normal gets you nowhere.

We are DECIEM, The Abnormal Beauty Company.

We are growing rapidly and we’re looking for someone who shares this vision and wants to grow with us!

The Senior R&D Formulation Chemist drives end-to-end product innovation from bench concept to full commercial scale across personal care and cosmetic categories. Operating as both a lead bench scientist and project owner, this role is responsible for formulating complex multi-phase systems, resolving challenging technical and stability issues, and establishing robust manufacturing processes. Working cross-functionally with Innovation (ARG), Clinical research, PITT, Analytical & Stability Development, Procurement, Regulatory, Quality, and Brand teams, the Senior Chemist translates scientific constraints into commercially viable solutions while upholding rigorous GLP/GMP standards and mentoring junior technical staff.

This position is a full-time, 12-month contract and is based out of our Head Office in Liberty Village, Toronto. Candidate are required to work on-site, 5-days a week.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $75,000 to $82,000.

Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location.

• Responsible for developing new and innovative formulas and re-engineering benchmark products using performance-based innovative technology.
• Formulate complex, multi-phase delivery systems (such as D-phase emulsions, microemulsions, or inverse phases) autonomously.
• Write clear, reproducible compounding instructions and independently troubleshoot batch adjustments.
• Map out complex project milestones, raw material lead times, and testing cadences seamlessly while maintaining impeccable data hygiene.
• Propose unique ingredient combinations, creative textures, and regularly introduce clever, lateral problem-solving to fix complex stability issues on the bench.
• Present stability data or formulation risks to cross-functional partners in an objective, actionable manner.
• Proactively connect with Procurement on lead times and Regulatory on compliance early in the design phase.
• Translate lab constraints into constructive, solution-oriented alternatives for Brand teams.
• Own project pipelines from bench to shelf, actively onboard junior staff, provide basic technical peer support, and take full responsibility for project outcomes and deadlines.
• Transfer lab scale production to Pilot and manufacturing scale; support validation of manufacturing procedures.

• Minimum 7+ years of formulation experience in the personal care and cosmetic industry.
• Experience formulating a broad range of different types of personal care and cosmetic formulations.
• Minimum post-Secondary education is Chemistry or relevant scientific degree.
• Possesses a strong grasp of chemical mechanisms, surfactant kinetics, interfacial tension, and complex emulsion stability.
• Deep knowledge of GLP and GMP guidelines

There’s a lot of good stuff that comes along with being a DECIEM team member. Here’s a few of our favourite…