Senior Scientist, Sun Care Formulations

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Scientist leads the development and reformulation of sun care products from concept through commercialization, delivering high‑quality, compliant, and consumer‑relevant formulations. This role leverages deep formulation expertise, statistical experimental design (DOE), and formal risk‑assessment methodologies (e.g., FMEA) to drive data‑based decisions and reduce technical risk. Working closely with Marketing, Consumer Insights, Operations, and external manufacturing partners, the Senior Scientist integrates consumer needs, regulatory requirements, and manufacturing considerations into development strategies. The role requires independent technical leadership, strong scientific judgment, and clear communication of data, risks, and recommendations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead the development and reformulation of sun care products to meet marketing objectives and global regulatory and safety requirements, applying deep formulation expertise to deliver robust, launch‑ready solutions.
• Drive products from bench through commercialization by designing and executing sound scientific studies, initiating efficacy and safety testing, and partnering with pilot scale‑up, stability, operations, and external manufacturing teams.
• Proactively identify and mitigate technical risk by leading Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for formulations and scale‑up, establishing risk controls, and driving mitigation actions to ensure product robustness and first‑time‑right launches.
• Design and apply statistical experimental design (DOE) to optimize formulations and manufacturing processes, interpret complex data sets, and translate results into clear technical recommendations that influence development and scale‑up decisions.
• Independently manage multiple complex projects and timelines, developing contingency plans and prioritizing work with minimal supervision to meet business objectives.
• Document, analyze, and interpret experimental data to advance projects, support technical decisions, and ensure defensible, high‑quality scientific outcomes.
• Serve as a technical partner to Marketing, Consumer Insights, and other cross‑functional stakeholders, effectively integrating consumer understanding into formulation development.
• Prepare and deliver clear, impactful technical presentations to R&D leadership and cross‑functional teams, summarizing data, risks, and recommendations.
• Contribute to continuous improvement through innovation, adoption of best practices, and strengthening formulation, process, and quality capabilities.
• Monitor competitive technical strategies and emerging technologies, providing insight to inform benchmarking and innovation initiatives.
• Represent the company at technical, supplier, or industry forums as a subject‑matter expert in formulation and sun care technologies.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• B.S. degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• A minimum of 6 years skin care / emulsion experience

DESIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• M.S. degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering with a minimum 4 years skin care / emulsion experience or Ph.D. in Chemistry with a minimum of 2 years skin care / emulsion experience, ideally within a consumer products environment
• Demonstrated ability to lead and facilitate cross‑functional Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for formulations and scale‑up, including defining risk scoring, control strategies, and driving mitigation actions to improve robustness and reduce technical risk through commercialization.
• Advanced competency in statistical experimental design (DOE) and multivariate data analysis to optimize formulations and manufacturing processes, translate complex data into clear technical recommendations, and influence development and scale‑up decisions.
• Deep technical expertise in sun care and cosmetic formulation, including O/W and W/O emulsions, dispersions, and delivery forms such as lotions, sprays, gels, and sticks.
• Proven experience developing and launching OTC or regulated products, with strong understanding of formulation, stability, safety, and regulatory considerations; sunscreen regulatory experience preferred.
• Experience working in GMP environments and partnering with pilot plants, operations, and external manufacturers to support scale‑up and technical transfer.
• Strong understanding of raw material functionality, rheology, and stability performance, with the ability to troubleshoot complex formulation and process challenges.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with advanced formulation testing and screening, including rheological and stability characterization of emulsions and use of solar simulators/Labsphere systems to evaluate sunscreen performance.
• Excellent scientific communication skills, including the ability to present technical data, influence cross‑functional stakeholders, and represent the company externally at technical or industry forums.
• Ability to travel. The position may require travel to contract manufacturing sites, vendors, industry meetings, and external seminars.

The salary range for this position is $84,000 - 126,000. Actual base salary offered to a candidate may vary based upon factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, base salary of internal peers, prior performance, business sector, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, the competitive compensation package may include, depending on the role, participation in an incentive program linked to performance. 

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Edgewell is an equal opportunity employer. We do all we can to create a collaborative and diverse global team, where good ideas can thrive, and our colleagues can learn and lead. We prohibit discrimination based on age, color, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. We listen deeply and speak directly to create an environment that’s open to difference. We aim to bring joy to not only the products we create and the people we serve, but our colleagues across the globe too.