Fragrance & Olfactive Evaluation Scientist

Confidential Jobs; Chennai District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Jobs in Chennai seeks a Fragrance Evaluation Scientist to support fragrance evaluation, application testing, stability assessment, and benchmarking while developing toward becoming an in-house perfumer. You will work with sensory panels and analytical teams to interpret data and build fragrance knowledge.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years in fragrance evaluation or sensory science, a Master’s in Chemistry/Life Sciences, and strong olfactory skills.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of fragrance evaluation or sensory science experience.
• Master’s degree in Chemistry, Life Sciences, or related field.
• Strong olfactory acuity and ability to articulate nuances.
• Experience with cosmetics or fragrance R&D preferred.
• Exposure to GC/GC-MS and IFRA standards is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and grade fragrance submissions based on character, strength, bloom, diffusion, and dry-down.
• Conduct sensory evaluation, olfactive profiling, ranking, discrimination, and benchmarking studies.
• Assess fragrance stability, dosage optimization, and application performance.
• Identify odour shifts, discoloration, instability, and base interactions.
• Maintain evaluation formats, sensory scores, olfactive vocabulary, and documentation.
• Support consumer sniff tests and fragrance benchmarking.
• Collaborate with analytical teams to interpret GC/GC-MS/headspace data.
• Build knowledge of fragrance raw materials and accords.
• Undergo structured perfumery training covering raw-material recognition and fragrance construction.
• Ensure evaluations align with IFRA, allergen, BIS, and internal safety requirements.

Skills

Sensory evaluation

Olfactive profiling

GC/GC-MS analysis

Headspace analysis

Documentation

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

IFRA standards

Perfumery training

Team collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in Chemistry

Master’s degree in Life Sciences

B.Tech/M.Tech in Chemical/Cosmetic/Food Technology

Tools

GC/GC-MS

Headspace analysis

Job description

We are looking for a Fragrance Evaluation Scientist with strong sensory and olfactive capabilities to support fragrance evaluation, application testing, stability assessment, and benchmarking within R&D. The selected candidate will also undergo structured development toward becoming an in-house perfumer.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluate and grade fragrance submissions based on character, strength, bloom, diffusion, dry-down, substantivity, and brief-fit.
• Conduct structured sensory evaluation, olfactive profiling, ranking, discrimination, and benchmarking studies.
• Assess fragrance stability, dosage optimization, and application performance across personal care and related product bases.
• Identify fragrance issues including odour shift, discoloration, instability, and base interactions.
• Maintain evaluation formats, sensory scores, olfactive vocabulary, and technical documentation.
• Support consumer sniff tests, sensory panels, fragrance benchmarking, and trend analysis.
• Work with analytical teams to interpret GC/GC-MS/headspace data alongside olfactive observations.
• Build knowledge of fragrance raw materials, accords, naturals, synthetics, and application behaviour.
• Undergo structured perfumery training covering raw-material recognition, accord creation, fragrance construction, formula modification, and dry-down design.
• Ensure fragrance evaluations align with IFRA, allergen, BIS, and internal safety requirements.

Candidate Profile:

• 3-5 years of experience in fragrance evaluation, olfactive assessment, sensory science, fragrance application laboratories, consumer sensory research, or related R&D evaluation roles.
• Master’s degree in Chemistry, Food Technology, Life Sciences, or B.Tech/M.Tech in Chemical, Cosmetic, or Food Technology.
• Strong ability to detect, differentiate, memorize, and articulate olfactive nuances.
• Experience in cosmetics, personal care, fragrance houses, sensory laboratories, or FMCG R&D preferred.
• Exposure to GC/GC-MS, IFRA standards, sensory statistics, or formal perfumery training will be an advantage.
• Strong documentation, analytical thinking, and communication skills.
• Must have a highly developed sense of smell and be comfortable working in a fragrance-sensitive laboratory environment.

Important: Product formulation or product-development experience is not mandatory. Selection will primarily focus on sensory and olfactive capability.