Senior R&D Formulator

barn & potter pte. ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Senior role with ownership

Full lifecycle exposure

Collaborative cross-functional team

Opportunity to shape R&D standards

Job summary

Hysses is a Singapore-based aromatherapy and natural wellness brand. The Senior R&D Formulator will lead development of new products and reformulation across skincare, haircare, body care and home fragrance, owning projects from concept to commercial launch.

This hands-on, senior role mentors junior formulators and partners with sourcing, QA, regulatory, marketing and manufacturing to ensure regulatory compliance, cost targets, and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–8 years hands-on formulation experience in cosmetics/personal care.
• Proven experience formulating with natural, naturally-derived, and/or essential oil-based systems; fragrance formulation is a strong plus.
• Experience across multiple product categories (skincare, haircare, body care, and/or home fragrance) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise formulations for skincare, haircare, body care, and home fragrance using natural botanical actives, essential oils, and bioactive ingredients.
• Lead formulation projects end-to-end: concept briefs, bench trials, stability testing, pilot batches, scale-up, and handover to production.
• Reformulate existing SKUs to improve efficacy, sensory experience, stability, cost, or compliance with clean-formulation standards.
• Design and refine essential oil blends and fragrance accords for leave-on and ambient scent formats.
• Mentor junior formulators and coordinate with sourcing, QA, regulatory, marketing, and manufacturing partners.
• Oversee stability testing, compatibility testing, and preservative efficacy studies; troubleshoot issues in production.
• Maintain regulatory documentation and ensure compliance across Hysses’ markets.

Skills

Sensory evaluation

Cross-functional communication

Independent ownership

Detail-oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cosmetic Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or a related field

Job description

About Hysses

Hysses (乡术 — “arts from the village”) is Singapore’s leading aromatherapy and natural wellness brand, with a retail footprint of essential oil-based skincare, haircare, body care, and home scent products across Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond. All formulation, research, and development is done in-house at the Hysses Singapore HQ.

Hysses formulates with natural botanicals and bioactive ingredients, sourced from farmers and native communities worldwide, and is committed to genuine efficacy over ingredient trends — avoiding synthetic silicones, parabens, paraffin, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, and unrefined petroleum-derived ingredients. The brand’s growth has been driven by a small, hands‑on R&D team responsible for everything from raw material sourcing to finished product launch.

Role Summary

The Senior R&D Formulator will lead the development of new products and reformulation of existing ones across Hysses’ skincare, haircare, body care, and home fragrance/essential oil ranges. This is a senior, hands‑on technical role for an experienced formulator who can independently own projects from concept to commercial launch — balancing natural/clean‑beauty ingredient philosophy, sensory and olfactory quality, regulatory compliance, cost, and manufacturability.

The role also carries a mentorship component, guiding junior formulators and coordinating closely with sourcing, QA, regulatory, marketing, and manufacturing partners.

Key Responsibilities

Formulation & Product Development

• Independently develop, trial, and optimise formulations for skincare, haircare, body care, and home/car scent products using natural botanical actives, essential oils, and bioactive ingredients.

• Lead formulation projects end‑to‑end: concept briefs, bench trials, stability testing, pilot batches, scale‑up, and handover to production.

• Reformulate existing SKUs to improve efficacy, sensory experience, stability, cost, or compliance with Hysses’ clean‑formulation standards (free from synthetic silicones, parabens, paraffin, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, and unrefined petroleum derivatives).

• Design and refine essential oil blends and fragrance accords for both leave‑on/rinse‑off body products and ambient home scent

• formats (diffuser oils, room mists, candles).

Technical & Quality Ownership

• Conduct and oversee stability testing (accelerated & real‑time), compatibility testing, challenge testing, and preservative efficacy studies in coordination with QA/QC and external labs.

• Troubleshoot formulation issues arising in pilot or full‑scale production runs (viscosity, separation, discolouration, scent drift, microbial stability, etc.).

• Maintain rigorous documentation: formulation records, batch trial data, INCI listings, safety data, and version control for all formulas.

• Ensure all formulations meet applicable regulatory requirements across Hysses’ markets (e.g., Singapore HSA cosmetic notification,

• ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, and relevant requirements in export markets).

Ingredient & Supplier Management

• Source, vet, and qualify new natural and bioactive raw materials, essential oils, and botanical extracts, working directly with farmers, growers, and ingredient suppliers.

• Evaluate raw materials for purity, sustainability, traceability, and consistency with Hysses’ natural‑ingredient philosophy.

• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of the aromatherapy and natural ingredient landscape, including emerging actives, extraction techniques, and sustainable sourcing practices.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing and Product teams to translate brand and consumer briefs into technically sound, launch‑ready formulations.

• Work with Manufacturing/Operations to ensure formulas are scalable, cost‑effective, and manufacturable within existing production capabilities.

• Liaise with Regulatory/QA on labelling, claims substantiation, and safety documentation.

• Support packaging compatibility testing in coordination with the packaging development team.

Leadership & Process

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior formulators and R&D associates.

• Help establish and improve R&D processes, documentation standards, and lab protocols as the team and product range scale.

• Contribute to long‑term R&D roadmap and innovation pipeline planning.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cosmetic Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or a related field.

• Minimum 5–8 years of hands‑on formulation experience in cosmetics/personal care, with demonstrated ownership of products from concept through commercial launch.

• Proven experience formulating with natural, naturally‑derived, and/or essential oil‑based ingredient systems is strongly preferred; aromatherapy or fragrance formulation experience is a strong plus.

• Experience across multiple product categories (skincare, haircare, body care, and/or home fragrance) preferred.

Technical Skills

• Strong working knowledge of cosmetic chemistry: emulsions, surfactant systems, natural preservation/preservative‑boosting strategies, rheology, and natural emulsifiers/thickeners.

• Familiarity with essential oil chemistry, blending, and safe usage levels (IFRA guidelines knowledge a plus).

• Working knowledge of ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and/or Singapore HSA cosmetic product notification requirements; familiarity with international regulatory frameworks (EU, US, China) is an advantage.

• Comfortable with stability protocol design, analytical/QC basics, and reading INCI/safety documentation.

• Proficient with formulation costing and understanding manufacturing/scale‑up constraints.

Personal Attributes

• Strong sensory evaluation skills (texture, scent, colour, performance) and genuine passion for natural/botanical ingredients.

• Detail‑oriented with excellent documentation discipline.

• Able to work independently and take ownership of multiple concurrent projects in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment.

• Strong cross‑functional communicator, comfortable working closely with sourcing, marketing, and operations teams.

• Interest in sustainability, ethical sourcing, and holistic wellness aligned with Hysses’ brand values.

What Hysses Offers

• A senior, high‑ownership R&D role at Singapore’s leading homegrown aromatherapy brand, with formulations developed entirely in‑house.

• Direct exposure to the full product lifecycle — from raw ingredient sourcing through to retail shelf across a growing regional footprint (Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond).

• A close‑knit, hands‑on team environment with direct access to leadership and cross‑functional decision‑making.

• The opportunity to shape formulation standards and R&D processes as the brand scales into new categories and markets.

Location & Work Arrangement

Based at the Hysses Singapore Headquarters / R&D Lab. This is an on‑site, lab‑based role given the hands‑on nature of formulation and bench work.