Hair Care R&D Manager

Ash. Ind. Nederland BV; Zwijndrecht; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation sponsorship

Group health insurance

Performance incentive plan

Wellness programs

Job summary

Ashland is seeking a Hair Care R&D Manager to lead the Zwijndrecht team and execute the Hair Care R&D strategy, driving innovation for the EMEA Personal Care business and maintaining a robust product pipeline.

You will supervise five researchers, collaborate with Marketing, Central R&D, Manufacturing, and Regulatory to deliver new chemistries from discovery to commercialization, develop regional launch packages, and mentor talent to strengthen the organization's long-term technical leadership.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry or a related field required.
• 10+ years of experience in technology development and leading teams.
• Strong background in hair care, ingredients and formulation.
• Publications or patents in personal care are preferred.
• Experience operating in a global technical and business environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Hair Care R&D team in Zwijndrecht and execute the R&D strategy.
• Direct development of new products and improvements to existing products.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Central R&D, Manufacturing and Regulatory.
• Develop talent and succession within the organization.
• Partner with regional teams to bring products to market and support launches.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Hair care chemistry

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in chemistry or related field

Job description

Ash. Ind. Nederland BV Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious? Are you always solving? Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us! Ashland has an exciting opportunity for a Hair Care R&D Manager to join the Personal Care organization at Zwijndrecht, The Netherlands.

Ashland Zwijndrecht serves as the Hair Care Center of Excellence for EMEA, offering specialized R&D, formulation, testing, and application expertise in the field of hair care. In addition, the site houses a central EMEA R&D laboratory and possesses unique expertise in cellulose and polysaccharide technology thanks to the combination of production and innovation at a single location.

The Hair Care R&D Manager is responsible for leading the Hair Care R&D team in Zwijndrecht and executing the Hair Care R&D strategy, ensuring the successful delivery of innovation and development initiatives that support the Personal Care Hair Care business. This position will lead and prioritize Hair Care R&D projects, drive innovation through collaboration with Marketing and Central R&D and develop a high-performing team in Zwijndrecht to support the growth of the EMEA Personal Care business.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serve as a key member of the Global Hair Care R&D team and share responsibility for division-wide business priorities.
• Oversee and supervise R&D development and innovation efforts within the Hair Care segment.
• Direct the development of new products and the improvement of existing products.
• Support all efforts that the Hair Care pipeline is healthy and robust and brings meaningful innovations to the Market.
• Provide leadership and direction to a team of 5 researchers in Zwijndrecht.
• Lead cross-functional teams responsible for developing hair care technologies that will fill gaps in the current portfolio and satisfy the needs of the marketplace.
• Ensure the team develop the current strong competencies further to fit with the long-term strategy and the market needs.
• Support the selection and development of talent and succession within the organization to ensure an effective, sustainable model and talent pipeline.
• Responsible, along with the commercial management team, for identifying new product opportunities in hair care business segments.
• Partner with global teams in Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Regulatory to bring new products from development to commercialization.
• Collaborate and develop strong relationships with human resources, finance, and other centre-led functions to ensure effective partnerships and alignment.
• Contributes to competitive portfolio analysis and creation of differentiated portfolio strategies.
• Care for competitive hair care technology benchmarking.
• Work closely with central R&D functions as applied research and process development to drive development of new chemistries and products.
• Sustain and develop the relation and collaboration with the regional technical service teams further.
• Develop the product pipeline in close collaboration with the regional marketing and tech. service teams, foster development of regional launch packages.
• Support major hair care launches with customer presentation and training.

In order to be qualified for this role you must possess the following:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical engineering, biology, physics, or related scientific/technical discipline required.
• 10+ years of relevant experience including technology development and implementation; leading and developing teams and driving innovation in a heavily regulated industry; preferably in EPA and/or REACH governed end-markets.
• Strong Hair Care background with experience working in the ingredients and formulation spaces.
• Demonstrated scientific excellence through publications/patents in the area of personal care.
• In depth understanding of hair care chemistry and the mode of action of ingredients in all fields of hair care.
• Significant experience operating in a global technical and business environment, preferably in nature derived polymers, surfactants, and specialty ingredients.
• Proven track record of successful new product launches.

The following skill sets are preferred by the business unit:

• Ability to influence outcomes, utilizing effective communication skills across functions.
• Leadership skills, as evidenced by a track record of hiring, retaining, developing, and motivating top-tier scientific talent.
• Open communication style
• Proven track record of driving accountability and fostering problem-solving within the team.
• Ability & desire to function at both strategic and tactical levels
• Strategic & analytical thinking skills and a pleasant and engaging style.
• Excellent communication skills, good work ethic and positive attitude.

Perks of working at Ashland:

• Work in a country with the world's #1 pension system (Mercer CFA Global Pension Index)
• Relocation sponsorship and support may be provided for qualified candidates relocating within the UK and EU
• Participation in Total Rewards: Ashland Incentive Plan
• Option to enroll in the group health insurance plan (CZ)
• Option to enroll in the bicycle purchase plan
• Option to use Go-Vital for fitness at a discounted rate
• Referral bonus plan – get a job with us and get paid to refer your friends

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland LLC. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care and pharmaceutical. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer. At Ashland our vision is to be a leading, global specialty chemicals company whose inspired and engaged employees add value to all we touch. In fact our people, employees, customers and vendors define who we are. They are the driving force behind everything we do.

Not only do we value our customers but we value our employees, and we work to offer them a dynamic and challenging environment. We hold ourselves to high standards at Ashland, and we value integrity and honesty. Ashland has a history of attracting the best people and keeping them. The reasons are simple: industry competitive salary and benefits, pay-for-performance incentive plans and a diverse work environment where employees feel challenged and valued. People come to Ashland and stay. As a growing Fortune 500 specialty chemicals company, we offer opportunities for development and advancement throughout our global organization. Our values define who we are and what we care about as a company. If you are looking for a relationship with a company instead of simply a job, this may be a great fit.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

NOTE: We do not accept resumes from external staffing agencies or independent recruiters for any of our openings unless we have a signed recruiting agreement in place to fill a specific position.