Product Development Scientist

HypTechie; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Unilever is seeking a Product Development Scientist in Mumbai to design, develop, and scale best-in-class formulations for wellbeing products. You will collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, and external partners to deliver consumer-winning, compliant and scalable products.

The role focuses on moving technologies from lab to pilot and factory, maintaining product specifications, and conducting shelf-life studies to enhance performance across markets.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• 6+ years of experience in formulation or technology development (dietary supplements/OTC preferred).
• Proven ability to lead development from lab scale to commercial manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation design for innovation and cost-saving projects.
• Coordinate with R&D, Regulatory, and external partners to ensure timely delivery.
• Ensure formulations meet regulatory and quality standards.

Skills

Formulation principles

Ingestible dosage forms

GMP & scale-up

Education

Master’s degree in Pharmaceutics/Industrial Pharmacy/Food Science

Tools

Contract labs

Job description

Product Development Scientist

Mumbai, Maharashtra (HURC) | Job ID: R-1165992 | Category: Research & Development | +6 years Exp

Business Context

The Global Health & Wellbeing (H&W) team at Unilever operates as a start‑up within the company, focused on the €140bn Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) category. With a portfolio including Equilibra, Olly, Liquid IV, Smarty Pants, Welly, and Onnit, the team combines entrepreneurial agility with Unilever’s scale to accelerate growth and expand brands globally.

Job Purpose

As a Product Development Scientist in the Wellbeing Collective, you will design, develop, and scale best‑in‑class formulations to support innovation, cost savings, and market expansion. You’ll collaborate with global cross‑functional teams (Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, SEAC) and external partners (contract labs, ingredient suppliers, manufacturers) to deliver consumer‑winning, compliant, and scalable products.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead formulation design for innovation and cost‑saving projects to deliver superior products on time, in full (OTIF).
• Collaborate with R&D functions (Packaging, CTI, Regulatory, Processing) to ensure seamless project delivery.
• Ensure all formulations meet statutory, regulatory, and legal compliance standards.
• Identify, establish, and scale technologies from lab to pilot to factory, ensuring robust technology transfer and documentation.
• Define and maintain product specifications for formulation, process, packaging, and QA standards.
• Conduct shelf‑life studies, adjust formulations to ensure stability, and enhance product performance.
• Apply analytical techniques to characterize key product attributes and resolve technical challenges.
• Partner with Marketing to translate consumer insights into product design.
• Address technical aspects of customer complaints and drive continuous product improvement.
• Anticipate and mitigate environmental, safety, regulatory, and competitive risks.
• Build and maintain strong networks with cross‑functional teams and external partners.

Skills & Competencies

Technical & Functional

• Strong expertise in formulation principles (theoretical & applied).
• Experience with ingestible dosage forms (functional powders, effervescent tablets, mouth‑dissolving films, etc.).
• Knowledge of raw materials, GMP, product scale‑up, and ingredient sourcing.

Core Skills

• Excellent communication skills to translate technical data into business language.
• Strong project management & prioritization across multiple, parallel projects.
• Risk‑taking mindset with focus on lean experimentation.
• Ability to work across global time zones and manage external partners.
• Growth mindset with consumer‑first and business impact orientation.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Pharmaceutics, Industrial Pharmacy, or Food Science (preferred).
• 6+ years’ experience in formulation or technology development (Dietary supplements/OTC strongly preferred).
• Proven ability to lead development from lab‑scale to commercial manufacturing.
• Strong experience collaborating with contract labs, manufacturing sites, and global stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with ability to influence at senior levels.