Senior Cosmetic Product Development Chemist — Lead & Launch

Placements24; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Professional development

Product discounts

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Beauty Product Development Chemist in Johannesburg to lead formulation from concept to launch, leveraging cosmetic chemistry expertise and project management to deliver high-quality skincare, color cosmetics, and haircare products.

You will work with marketing, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure compliant, efficacious products and guide scale-up to production while maintaining thorough documentation and staying ahead of industry trends.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Experience with cosmetic formulation and product development in beauty industry.
• Knowledge of cosmetic safety assessment, stability testing, and analytical techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead the formulation and development of innovative skincare, haircare, and color cosmetic products.
• Conduct research on new ingredients, technologies and formulation trends.
• Develop stable, safe formulations adhering to regulatory standards.
• Perform benchtop formulation work and optimize existing formulas.
• Troubleshoot formulation challenges and identify solutions.
• Collaborate with marketing to understand product briefs and consumer needs.
• Work with regulatory teams to ensure compliance with local and international cosmetic regulations.
• Support scale-up from lab to pilot and manufacturing.
• Maintain laboratory notebooks and formulation documentation.
• Evaluate raw materials and finished products for quality and performance.
• Stay updated on industry innovations and competitive landscape.

Skills

Cosmetic formulation

Cosmetic chemistry

Regulatory awareness

Project management

Testing & stability

Documentation

Team collaboration

Problem solving

LAB techniques

Troubleshooting

Education

Masters or PhD in Chemistry/Cosmetic Science

Tools

HPLC

GC-MS

Rheometer

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Senior Beauty Product Development Chemist in Johannesburg to lead formulation from concept to launch, leveraging cosmetic chemistry expertise and project management to deliver high-quality skincare, color cosmetics, and haircare products.

You will work with marketing, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure compliant, efficacious products and guide scale-up to production while maintaining thorough documentation and staying ahead of industry trends.