Director, Personal Care Formulation

About You:

We are seeking an experienced personal care formulation leader to own the technical strategy and execution behind Nutrafol's growing topicals portfolio. This is a player-coach role: you will set formulation direction and lead in house and external formulation while staying close enough to the science — and the bench — to make the hard technical calls yourself.

You will build and lead in-house formulation capability across both leave-on and rinse-off products, leading Nutrafol’s formulation approach to full scalp and strand regimens. You will own the formulation process end to end — project plans, phases, workstreams, deliverables, timelines, and milestones — and partner with Product Development to deliver differentiated, efficacious formulas that meet product and business objectives.

You will also serve as Nutrafol's primary technical connection into Unilever Science & Technology, and will select and manage the external formulation labs, raw material partners, and contract manufacturers who extend our capability.

Location:

Hybrid — Trumbull, CT three days per week on site, two days remote (depending on business needs).

Candidates must be within commuting distance of the Unilever facilities in Trumbull, CT and New Haven, CT.

Responsibilities:

Formulation Strategy & Technical Ownership

• Act as the internal formulation strategy expert for all topical and personal care new product development projects and reformulations.
• Set the formulation roadmap for the scalp and strand portfolio across leave-on and rinse-off categories, and define what technical capability Nutrafol needs to build, buy, or partner for.
• Determine optimal base and functional ingredient systems and active ingredient components for each product to meet target consumer experience, sensory profile, performance, and scalp and hair health benefits.
• Make the call on build-versus-partner decisions: which formulas are developed in-house at the Nutrafol bench and which are developed with external formulation labs or CMOs.
• Serve as senior technical reviewer on formulation approaches, prototype evaluations, and go/no-go development decisions.
• Track and evaluate emerging personal care and cosmetic science innovations, raw material technologies, and category whitespace, and translate them into innovation opportunities.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and develop internal and external formulation expertise — setting priorities, reviewing technical work, and growing individual capability.
• Hire and onboard formulation talent as the topicals portfolio expands, and shape the structure of the formulation function.
• Remain hands-on where it matters: personally engaged in formulation strategy, prototype review, and bench work on high-stakes or novel projects.
• Maintain and expand Nutrafol's internal lab bench capabilities at Unilever, and act as the main point of contact and coordinator for Unilever Science & Technology formulation inputs and collaboration.
• Establish the formulation function's standards and infrastructure: formula databases, raw material libraries, testing protocols, documentation practices, and standard operating procedures.

External Partnerships & Manufacturing

• Identify, evaluate, and engage industry-leading contract manufacturing organizations for scale-up and commercialization of Nutrafol proprietary formulations.
• Work closely with formulation laboratories and contract manufacturers on formula ideation, ingredient selection, manufacturing processes, pilot batches, and testing.
• Build relationships with raw material vendors to identify emerging ingredient technologies, whitespace for innovation, and co-development opportunities.
• Negotiate and manage technical scopes of work with external partners, and hold them accountable to quality, timeline, and performance expectations.
• Create action plans for new projects generated by internal and external requests, including requests for proposals (RFPs) and statements of work (SOWs).

Testing, Claims & Regulatory Partnership

• Own the preclinical functional testing strategy for prototypes and final formulations across scalp and strand, and ensure methods are selected to link directly to desired benefit claims.
• Partner with Clinical, Regulatory, Legal, and Marketing to define, substantiate, and defend product claims.
• Ensure formulas meet U.S. and applicable international cosmetic regulatory requirements, including MoCRA obligations, safety substantiation, and ingredient restrictions, in partnership with QA/RA.
• Provide technical leadership on OTC monograph considerations where relevant to scalp and hair products, and anticipate regulatory implications early in development.
• Ensure formulation documentation and technical records meet internal quality and external audit standards.

Cost, Sustainability & Lifecycle Stewardship

• Own formulation integrity from development through launch and across the entire product life cycle, in coordination with Product Development, QA/RA, and Supply Chain.
• Set and manage formula cost of goods targets, balancing performance, consumer experience, and margin objectives.
• Embed sustainability into formulation strategy — responsibly sourced and naturally derived ingredients, biodegradability, water and energy footprint, and concentrated or refillable format opportunities.
• Partner with Packaging and Supply Chain on formula–package compatibility, component selection, and manufacturability.
• Lead reformulation, raw material substitution, supply disruption response, and continuous improvement efforts across the marketed portfolio.

Program Management & Communication

• Develop, manage, and drive the technical workstreams for personal care new product development initiatives, including project plans, phases, deliverables, timelines, and milestones.
• Track and manage progress against formulation project timelines, surfacing risks early and resolving roadblocks.
• Communicate directly with internal and external partners to understand, define, and report progress on projects.
• Prepare and deliver data and technical presentations to all levels of the organization, including executive leadership, and contribute to scientific posters and manuscripts for publication.
• Work with patent attorneys to provide scientific content in drafting new patents for novel personal care formulations and technologies.
• Maintain a high level of organization and responsiveness for record keeping and data management, including reports, NDAs/CDAs, supplier and external materials, and internal presentations.
• Build and maintain effective cross-functional relationships that create a high level of trust across the organization.

Requirements:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in cosmetic science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field.
• 5–10+ years of experience in cosmetic or personal care formulation, with demonstrated progression into technical leadership.
• Hands-on formulation laboratory experience is highly desirable, including pilot-scale formulation work.
• Experience leading or mentoring formulation scientists; direct people management experience preferred.
• Experience formulating prestige or premium personal care products across multiple formats — surfactant systems, emulsions, suspensions, and aqueous or hydroalcoholic systems — with familiarity with clean beauty standards and naturally derived ingredients.
• Demonstrated experience taking formulas from concept through scale-up and commercial launch with contract manufacturers.

Technical Expertise

• In-depth knowledge of preclinical testing models used to determine product performance and link results to desired product benefit claims.
• Strong command of both leave-on and rinse-off hair and scalp product development, including the distinct technical challenges of each.
• Familiarity with functional and active ingredients for hair growth, scalp health, hair strand health and performance, and skin and scalp health.
• Familiarity with scalp microbiome health and the influence of personal care products and ingredients on it.
• Working knowledge of the current and evolving U.S. cosmetic regulatory landscape, including MoCRA.
• Understanding of formula costing, COGS management, and manufacturability constraints at scale.

Preferred Qualifications

• Dermatological and/or hair and scalp biology knowledge.
• Experience with over-the-counter dermatological products and monograph requirements.
• Experience building a formulation function or lab capability from an early stage.
• Experience with sustainability-driven formulation programs.
• Publication, patent, or scientific presentation record in personal care or cosmetic science.

Leadership & Core Competencies

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across functions and present credibly to executive leadership.
• Strong organizational skills and fluency with project management principles and tools (Gantt charts, project management software, stage-gate processes).
• Attention to detail and a track record of delivering on time with a high degree of accuracy.
• Creative problem-solver who can hold both the technical detail and the big picture.
• Initiative and the ability to work independently while leading and contributing to a high-performing team.
• Proven ability to learn new skills quickly and adapt to new processes smoothly.

Work Environment & Travel

• Periodic hands-on laboratory work in accordance with safety protocols.
• Travel to manufacturing sites, supplier facilities, trade shows, and in-person team meetings, approximately 15–20%.