Creative Lab Manager

Lebermuth; South Bend, Northern (IN, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lebermuth is seeking a Creative Lab Manager to lead the Creative Laboratory operations, aligning NPD strategy with business growth and building scalable systems. The role oversees the day-to-day activities of the Applications and Compounding teams, translating scientific insights into practical customer solutions and accelerating innovation.

You will develop people, promote ownership and accountability, and drive continuous improvement using metrics to inform decisions and enhance project

Qualifications

• Strong operational leadership translating New Product Development strategy into Creative Lab priorities.
• Ability to prioritize resources and develop fact-based recommendations for capability investments.
• Experience building scalable teams, processes, and systems for sustainable growth.
• Proven ability to develop people, foster ownership and accountability.
• Strong business acumen linking technical activity to customer value and profitability.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills translating complex concepts for diverse audiences.
• Systems-thinking with focus on process improvement, scalability, and long-term capability development.
• Comfort using metrics and dashboards to drive visibility and prioritization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day activities of the Applications and Compounding teams.
• Develop scalable systems, processes, and talent to support current needs and future growth.
• Serve as a link between technical and commercial functions, translating science into practical customer solutions.
• Drive profitable growth through focused execution and prioritized resource allocation.
• Foster a high-performance culture with ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Use metrics and dashboards to improve resource planning and execution efficiency.

Skills

Operational leadership

Translate technical to business

Team building

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Continuous improvement

Job description

Description

The Creative Lab Manager is responsible for the operational leadership of the Creative Laboratory, ensuring the department effectively supports Lebermuth's growth objectives through efficient execution, capability development, technical collaboration, and customer-focused solutions.

This leader oversees the day-to-day activities of the Applications and Compounding teams while developing scalable systems, processes, and talent to support both current business needs and future growth opportunities.

The Creative Lab Manager serves as a key link between technical and commercial functions, helping translate scientific expertise into practical solutions that enhance customer value, accelerate innovation, and support strategic business objectives.

What Success Looks Like

Enable Profitable Growth Through Focused Execution
Ensure Creative Lab resources remain focused on the highest-value customer, innovation, and business priorities, driving efficient execution, alignment, and measurable growth.

Build Scalable Laboratory Capability
Strengthen laboratory systems, processes, training, and technical capabilities to support customer needs, innovation, and future business growth.

Elevate Creative Lab as a Trusted Technical Partner
Provide practical expertise and technical leadership that supports customers, strengthens cross-functional decision-making, and enhances project outcomes.

Translate Technical Expertise Into Business Results
Convert scientific insights into actionable customer solutions, commercial opportunities, improved decision-making, and differentiated value.

Develop People, Ownership, and Accountability
Build a high-performance culture by growing technical capability, encouraging knowledge sharing, and fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Drive Continuous Improvement and Operational Visibility
Use metrics, dashboards, and clear communication to improve resource planning, prioritization, performance visibility, and execution effectiveness.

Requirements

What You Bring

• Strong operational leadership with the ability to translate New Product Development strategy and business objectives into practical Creative Lab priorities, systems, and execution.
• Ability to recommend and prioritize Creative Lab resources within established portfolio and business priorities, and to develop fact-based recommendations for capability investments.
• Experience building scalable teams, processes, systems, and capabilities that support sustainable growth.
• Proven ability to develop people, strengthen accountability, and create a positive high-performance work culture grounded in ownership, trust, involvement, and continuous improvement.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect technical activities to customer value, commercial outcomes, profitability, and organizational priorities.
• Effective communication and influencing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable business insights for diverse audiences.
• Systems-thinking mindset with a focus on process improvement, scalability, standardization, and long-term capability development.
• Comfort using metrics, dashboards, and operational data to drive visibility, prioritization, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to develop new technical, application, operational, and organizational capabilities in support of future growth opportunities.
• Commitment to knowledge sharing, succession planning, cross-training, and reducing dependency on single points of expertise.
• Alignment with organizational culture with a focus on ownership, trust, accountability, involvement, collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement.

FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-Time

Department: Fragrance Lab