Senior Formulation & Product Development Manager

lrdistributors; Encinitas (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

L&R Distributors is seeking a Product Development Manager of Formulation to lead high-impact product development initiatives across beauty categories. This hands-on role covers formulation, testing, and scale-up for shelf-ready and new products for major retail channels.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in formulation development, contract manufacturing, and OTC products, and can lead cross-functional teams to deliver consumer outcomes at scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, or a related field.
• 8+ years of product development experience in beauty, personal care, and/or OTC.
• Experience with OTC drug products and SPF formulations.
• Strong background working with contract manufacturers.
• Proven ability to manage complex development timelines, testing programs, and budgets.
• Preferred experience supporting major retail customers.
• Familiarity with shelf-ready packaging and retail quality expectations.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration with Packaging, Regulatory, and Quality teams.
• Ability to travel to CM locations, mainly in the Los Angeles area.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation development and scale-up for beauty products.
• Coordinate validation and commercialization readiness across product lines.
• Manage development timelines, critical paths, and budgets.
• Drive lab, pilot, and full-scale production in partnership with contract manufacturers.
• Ensure smooth transition into manufacturing with consistent quality and supply.
• In OTC, SPF & Regulatory, drive product development under VP guidance and support claims substantiation.
• Coordinate development testing, including stability, compatibility, and performance validation.
• Collaborate with Packaging, Regulatory, Quality and Commercial teams to drive execution.
• Drive end-to-end development of new products for major retail channels.

Skills

Product development

Beauty/OTC expertise

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biology or related field

Job description

L&R Distributors is seeking a Product Development Manager of Formulation to lead high-impact product development initiatives across beauty categories. This hands-on role covers formulation, testing, and scale-up for shelf-ready and new products for major retail channels.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in formulation development, contract manufacturing, and OTC products, and can lead cross-functional teams to deliver consumer outcomes at scale.