Manager - Formulation Development (Hair Care)

Purplle.com; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Purplle.com in Mumbai seeks a Manager - Formulation Development (Hair Care) with 7–8 years of experience to lead value engineering and cost optimization initiatives for cosmetic formulations. The role requires strong formulation expertise, stability testing, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure product quality and regulatory compliance.

The candidate will evaluate alternate materials and packaging, manage trials, and liaise with sourcing, QA, regulatory, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Cosmetic Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related field.
• 7–8 years in cosmetic, personal care, or pharmaceutical formulation development.
• Proven cost engineering, technical reformulation, and raw material evaluation.
• Strong background in stability testing, compatibility studies, and data interpretation.
• Familiarity with BIS, FDA, EU, ISO regulations.

Responsibilities

• Value Engineering & Cost Optimization: analyze formulations and packaging for cost reduction.
• Evaluate alternate raw materials and packaging while preserving product integrity.
• Lead stability studies, compatibility tests, and performance validation for revised formulations.
• Collaborate with sourcing to qualify alternate suppliers and materials.
• Coordinate with regulatory, QA, packaging, and manufacturing for implementation.

Skills

Value engineering

Cost optimization

Alternative materials

Stability testing

Regulatory familiarity

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Cosmetic Science/Pharma/C chemistry

Job description

Job Title: Manager - Formulation Development (Hair Care)

Experience Required: 7–8 Years

Location: Mumbai

Department: R&D / Product Development

Reports To: Head – R&D / Innovation

Role Overview

We are seeking a Formulation Value Engineering Manager who will lead initiatives to optimize existing formulations through cost‑effective alternatives, raw material and packaging material substitutions, and value engineering without compromising product quality, performance, or compliance. This role requires strong formulation expertise, deep technical understanding of ingredient functionalities, and hands‑on experience in stability, compatibility, and performance evaluation.

Key Responsibilities

• Value Engineering & Cost Optimization: Analyze existing formulations and packaging materials to identify high‑cost contributors and opportunities for optimization.
• Evaluate and implement alternate raw materials and packaging materials, technologies, or processes to reduce formulation/packaging cost while maintaining product integrity.
• Lead and execute comprehensive stability studies, compatibility tests, and performance validation on revised formulations/packaging. Ensure all modifications meet internal quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Work with sourcing and procurement to identify, screen, and qualify alternate suppliers, ingredients & packaging. Assess technical equivalency and impact of substitutions on product attributes and shelf‑life.
• Liaise with regulatory, quality assurance, packaging, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless implementation of formulation changes. Partner with marketing and commercial teams to align optimization efforts with brand positioning and claims.
• Maintain detailed records of trials, formulation adjustments, evaluation protocols, and outcomes. Ensure compliance with global regulatory frameworks and internal product standards.
• Monitor market trends, ingredient innovations, and competitor activity to identify strategic cost‑saving opportunities. Contribute to formulation knowledge databases, libraries, and internal best practices.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Cosmetic Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related field.
• 7–8 years of experience in cosmetic, personal care, or pharmaceutical formulation development.
• Proven expertise in cost engineering, technical reformulation, and raw material evaluation.
• Strong background in stability testing, compatibility studies, and analytical interpretation.
• Familiarity with global cosmetic regulations (e.g., BIS, FDA, EU, ISO).
• Excellent documentation, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Attributes

• Strong technical acumen and a solution‑oriented mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple reformulation projects with minimal supervision.
• Experience working with cross‑functional and vendor teams.
• Agile, self‑motivated, and proactive in identifying and executing optimization opportunities.
• High sense of ownership and accountability over assigned projects.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with cross‑functional teams.
• Comfortable managing multiple projects in a dynamic, evolving environment.
• Collaborative approach.
• Fast and quick learners.