Senior R&D Chemist - Global (12-month Contract)

DECIEM; Toronto; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation & Personal Days

Paid parental leave (6 months)

Employee Assistance Program

Development Grants & LinkedIn Learning

Product discounts

Job summary

DECIEM seeks a Senior R&D Formulation Chemist to drive end-to-end product innovation from bench concepts to commercial scale across personal care and cosmetic categories. You will lead as a bench scientist and project owner, formulating complex multi-phase systems and resolving stability issues while ensuring robust manufacturing processes.

The role is a full-time, 12-month contract based at our Liberty Village head office in Toronto, with on-site, five-days-a-week work and cross-functional

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Develop new and innovative formulas and re-engineer benchmark products using advanced tech.
• Formulate complex multi-phase delivery systems autonomously.
• Write clear compounding instructions and troubleshoot batch adjustments.
• Map milestones, raw material lead times and testing cadences with data hygiene.
• Propose ingredient combinations and textures to solve stability issues.
• Present stability data to cross-functional partners clearly and objectively.
• Coordinate with Procurement and Regulatory early in design phase for compliance.
• Own project pipelines from bench to shelf and onboard junior staff.
• Transfer lab-scale production to Pilot and manufacturing scale; support validation.

Skills

Formulation expertise

Project leadership

Mentoring junior staff

GLP/GMP knowledge

Education

Chemistry or relevant scientific degree

Job description

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!

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

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.

PAY RANGE

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.

WHAT YOU'D BE DOING IN THIS ROLE

• 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.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED TO GET THE JOB DONE

• 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

WHAT YOU'LL BE GAINING BY JOINING OUR TEAM

There's a lot of good stuff that comes along with being a DECIEM team member. Here's a few of our favourite perks and benefits, in no particular order…

• Generous Vacation & Personal Days, plus additional time off for volunteering in your community, voting, peaceful protesting, celebrating your birthday, and more.
• 6 months of paid time off for new parents (inclusive of all genders).
• Unlimited access to an Employee Assistance Program that includes mental health care, mindfulness programs, and more.
• Access to Development Grants & a LinkedIn Learning membership to help you keep growing and learning.
• A generous discount on DECIEM products for you, your family, and your friends.

BUILDING GROWTH TO POWER GOOD

We are a People first company that lives by our core values to…

• Defy Convention.
• Make it real.
• Play in the grey.
• Build Bridges.
• Be the rabbit.

These values continue to guide us in all that we do. Along the way, we've been honoured to win some pretty incredible awards, including a CEW Achiever Award, Best Skincare Brand at Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards, and Most Popular Sustainable Brand by The Cosmetify Index Global. We're still blushing!

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT

DECIEM's objective is to build growth and do good things while prioritizing people, animals, and the Earth.

Our Sustainability strategy is focused on fighting climate change, improved waste management, responsible packaging, responsible sourcing and product lifecycle, and water conservation.

In 2020, DECIEM established the Good Fund to support both large and grassroots charities in response to global events.

CREATING A HUMAN WORLD OF BEAUTY

DECIEM is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by creating meaningful, measurable change in the lives of our team members and in the communities where we operate. Achieving equality is critical to DECIEM and our future. You can learn more about our DEI commitment in our open letter, "Belonging is the Destination, Change is the Journey".

DECIEM is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on age, colour, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and any other legally protected class in accordance with applicable federal, provincial and local laws. We are also committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you are contacted to be part of our recruitment process and require accommodation, please let us know.