Chemist | Bentley Labs

THG; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

THG Beauty is seeking a Chemist at its Edison, NJ site to develop cosmetic formulations and manage end-to-end lab projects. You will prepare lab batches, validate stability, and translate concepts into scalable formulations under the R&D manager's guidance.

The role requires 2+ years in cosmetic formulation development, a chemistry-related degree, and strong analytical, problem-solving, and collaboration skills within cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of cosmetic formulation development and R&D experience.
• Experience developing personal care, skincare and haircare formulations.
• Knowledge of stability testing and GLP or equivalent lab practices.
• Familiarity with FDA, CTFA, PCPC and cGMP requirements.
• Ability to lead scale-up activities and work with Regulatory and Manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Review PDRs with Sales to clarify requirements and guide projects.
• Formulate OTC and non-OTC personal care products to meet specs.
• Manage multiple projects, ensuring timely delivery and outcomes.
• Prepare batches for customer evaluation and incorporate feedback.
• Conduct and monitor stability testing per approved protocols.
• Stay current with cosmetic ingredients and industry trends.
• Optimize formulations for performance, cost and manufacturability.
• Provide technical support to customers and sales teams.
• Maintain GLP-compliant R&D documentation.
• Mentor junior chemists and support sample submissions.
• Develop detailed manufacturing processes with specs and test results.
• Collaborate with Regulatory to ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Cosmetic formulation development

Personal care formulations

Formulation troubleshooting

Stability testing

Lab best practices

Cosmetic regulations

Scale-up

Cross-functional teamwork

Project management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Safety culture

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related scientific discipline

Job description

About THG

We are THG, a global ecommerce group on a mission to be the global online leader in beauty and sports nutrition.

Our portfolio of leading retailers and brands such as LOOKFANTASTIC, Myprotein, ESPA, Perricone MD, and Cult Beauty form our two core businesses: THG Beauty and THG Nutrition.

From Manchester to New York, we’re powered by a team of over 2500 people who work together, lead by example, and think BIG.

With us, you’ll go further, faster. What are you waiting for?

Location: 50 Clearview Road, Edison, NJ, 08837

Life at THG Beauty

We know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our portfolio of leading retailers and iconic beauty brands caters to everyone, everywhere, empowering customers all over the world to look and feel fantastic.

By combining our portfolio of owned brands with a marketplace for over 1,300 third-party beauty brands through online retail sites LOOKFANTASTIC, Cult Beauty, and Dermstore, THG Beauty’s ambition is to be the global digital partner of choice across the beauty industry, supporting the channel shift to online.

THG Beauty’s breadth of relationships is unique to the beauty market; it engages with brands as a retailer, a brand owner, and a product developer and manufacturer, making it the industry’s digital strategic leader.

About Bentley Labs

Bentley Laboratories is a premier beauty contract manufacturer based in Edison, NJ. For over twenty years, Bentley has been a trusted supplier for the world’s top global beauty brands, creating and producing award-winning innovations across the skincare, bodycare, haircare, hygiene and color cosmetics categories. Bentley’s core manufacturing capabilities include OTC’S; skincare emulsions; surfactant systems for haircare, bath & body products; hot fill processing for solid stick deodorants, lip balms, and other wax systems; and powders for dry shampoos and loose powder face applications. Known for its innovation capabilities, quality, and manufacturing excellence, Bentley maintains the highest standards in GMP compliance, safety, and operational efficiency.

Bentley’s core manufacturing capabilities include OTC’S; skincare emulsions; surfactant systems for haircare, bath & body products; hot fill processing for solid stick deodorants, lip balms, and other wax systems; and powders for dry shampoos and loose powder face applications. Known for its innovation capabilities, quality, and manufacturing excellence, Bentley maintains the highest standards in GMP compliance, safety, and operational efficiency.

About the Role

The Chemist will be qualified to degree level or equivalent and have at least 2-3 year of experience within cosmetic development. They will be responsible for making lab batches, performing stability and taking product briefs from concept through to completion under guidance of R&D manager. Chemist reports to the Senior R&D Manager.

As a Chemist you will…

• Review Product Development Requests (PDRs), collaborate with Sales Executives to clarify requirements, and ensure successful project completion.
• Formulate OTC and non-OTC personal care, skincare, haircare, and sun care products using in-depth knowledge of ingredients and processes to meet customer-defined technical and aesthetic requirements.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing activities to ensure timely delivery and successful outcomes.
• Prepare laboratory batches for customer evaluation, incorporating feedback through reformulation and resubmission as required.
• Conduct and monitor stability testing in accordance with approved protocols, reformulating products when stability issues are identified.
• Stay current with emerging cosmetic ingredients, technologies, and industry trends, applying innovative solutions to product development.
• Optimize formulations to enhance product performance, cost efficiency, and manufacturing effectiveness.
• Provide technical support to customers and Sales Executives, including participation in account team meetings and teleconferences.
• Maintain accurate and complete R&D documentation in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards.
• Mentor and collaborate with junior chemists and new hires to support effective bench work, project execution, and successful sample submissions.
• Develop detailed laboratory-scale manufacturing processes, including order of addition, critical raw materials, processing parameters, benchmarks, preliminary specifications, and test results.
• Partner with Regulatory to ensure all formulations meet applicable compliance requirements.
• Contribute to internal knowledge-sharing initiatives, including SOP development, training materials, and technical databases.
• Attend industry conferences, workshops, and professional development activities to expand formulation expertise and technical knowledge.

Promote a safe working environment by adhering to health, safety, cGMP, and laboratory procedures, while fostering a positive and safety-focused culture.

What skills and experience do I need for this role?

• 2+ years’ experience in cosmetic formulation development and R&D.
• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience developing and modifying personal care, skincare, and haircare formulations.
• Knowledge of formulation troubleshooting, stability testing, and laboratory best practices.
• Understanding of cosmetic industry regulations, including FDA, CTFA, PCPC, and cGMP requirements.
• Experience supporting scale-up activities and working within cross-functional teams, including Regulatory and Manufacturing.
• Strong project management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative, team-oriented approach.High level of initiative, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to maintaining safe working practices and promoting a positive workplace culture.

Compensation

• $60,000–$68,000 annually, based on experience, skills, and qualifications.

THG is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you are invited to interview, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to the recruitment process that will enable you to perform to the best of your ability.

THG is committed to creating a diverse & inclusive environment and hence welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Because of the high volumes of applications our opportunities attract, it sometimes takes us time to review and consider them all. We endeavour to respond to every application we receive within 14 days. If you haven’t heard from us within that time frame or should you have any specific questions about this or other applications for positions at THG please contact one of our Talent team to discuss further.