Scientist II, Applications R&D

Position Title: Scientist II, Applications R&D

Position Summary

Vantage Specialty Chemicals is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Scientist II, Applications R&D, to support formulation design, process development, and application testing within the Vantage Personal Care R&D team. This role requires a strong foundation in personal care ingredients and formulations, proficiency with established laboratory methods, sound scientific judgment, and the ability to adapt procedures to solve moderately complex technical problems. The Scientist II collaborates with cross-functional teams, external partners, and customers to translate technical needs into practical solutions developed and proven by well-designed experiments. The role also advances the team’s formulation and performance testing capabilities, contributes to project-level technical direction, and supports continued professional proficiency.

Position Scope

This role is part of the VPC Global Applications R&D team and supports the Personal Care business, with a primary focus on skin care and hair care applications. The Scientist II contributes to formulation design, process development, application testing, and technical problem-solving for projects that support ingredient performance, customer needs, and commercial execution. The role works on-site in the Warren, NJ laboratory and collaborates with internal cross-functional partners, external testing providers, and customers to support project execution, data generation, and technical communication. The position requires increasing independence, sound scientific judgment, strong documentation practices, and the ability to manage defined project activities while seeking guidance on highly complex or unfamiliar issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develop personal care formulations, primarily for skin care and hair care applications, to showcase the benefits of Vantage ingredients.
• Conduct stability studies and evaluate prototype performance to support formulation development and optimization.
• Design, plan, and conduct in-house application testing; coordinate testing with third-party service providers as needed.
• Investigate formulation and application challenges and develop practical, scientifically sound solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners on product design, material evaluation, process studies, and research investigations.
• Prepare and review project plans, timelines, and deliverables with minimal supervision; seek guidance for complex or unfamiliar issues.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, or coordination for junior scientists, engineers, and interns as appropriate.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of work processes.
• Foster a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work environment through active engagement.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation and communicate results clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the development of technical marketing materials, including formulation guidelines, sell sheets, brochures, presentations, and data summaries.
• Follow company safety policies and procedures and promote a culture of safety and accountability.

Note: The duties listed above are not all inclusive and may be subject to periodic updating or revision.

Education & Experience

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or a related field required. Master’s degree in a related field preferred. Ph.D. is a plus.

Experience:

• At least four years of hands-on experience in cosmetic or personal care product formulation or manufacturing with a bachelor’s degree, or at least two years of relevant experience with a master’s degree.
• Demonstrated ability to independently operate laboratory equipment and instrumentation for compounding and characterization of formulations.
• Proven ability to develop formulations using approaches such as design of experiments or Bayesian optimization is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, & Talents

• Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to investigate technical challenges, analyze data, and develop effective solutions.
• Familiarity with cosmetic regulations and industry standards applicable to personal care formulation and application work.
• Understanding of ingredient chemistry and ingredient design for skin care or hair care applications.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and collaborate with R&D, Marketing, Product Management, Operations, external partners, and customers.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical information clearly.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work independently on assigned projects and tasks while collaborating effectively as part of a team.
• Self-motivated, curious, adaptable, and willing to learn in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Collaborative, team-oriented style with sound judgment, follow-through, and a safety-focused mindset.

Working Conditions

• This is an on-site position based in Warren, NJ and is not eligible for remote work due to laboratory requirements.
• Travel up to 10% may be required to support manufacturing sites, partners, customers, or other business needs, including occasional driving within the tri-state area.
• Role requires work in a laboratory environment and adherence to company safety policies, procedures, and personal protective equipment requirements.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lb during the course of normal work.

Pay

The estimated base pay range for this position is: $88,000 - $110,000 annually.  Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills and geographic location.  This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program.

Benefits

Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including:

• Medical, HSA, dental, vision

• FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking)

• Life and AD&D insurance

• Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance

• Short- and long-term disability

• EAP, identity theft protection

• Paid time off, Parental Leave

• 401(k) with company match

Equal Employment Opportunity

Vantage is an equal opportunity employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. 

About Vantage

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results, and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.  For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.