Senior Scientist I, Hair Fiber & Scalp Advanced Research, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

Position Title: Senior Scientist I, Hair Fiber & Scalp Advanced Research

Location: Clark, New Jersey

Department: Hair Fiber & Scalp Discovery Domain

For more than one hundred years, L’Oréal believes that beauty needs Science. In a world now transformed by digital technology and the emergence of new scientific domains, we are confident in our ability to turn these opportunities into major innovations, closely linked to the new consumer expectations all over the world. Science & Technology are allowing us to invent safe, trustable, sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people’s lives. 

L’Oréal Research & Innovation (R&I) has continuously invested upstream in its research with a high level of ambition. Our 4,100 L'Oréal R&I people are talented and highly skilled, located in major markets, working in a cooperative way, open to the world. L’Oréal, Research & Innovation is a vast, multidisciplinary, scientific community working in more than 30 specialized fields, spread out across the world in 21 research centers across 6 regional hubs, 14 evaluation centers, and 49 scientific and regulatory departments. Our employees represent over 60 nationalities and are united for one passion: to invent and perfect innovative, high-performance products for the well-being of all across the world.

To discover more on our scientific and technical functions at L'Oréal Research & Innovation, please check out our website

We are seeking a Senior Scientist to join our Hair Fiber and Scalp Discovery Domain team in our Clark, NJ Research facility. This is a highly technical lab position will require continuous learning & in-depth working knowledge in Material Sciences, Chemistry, Biophysics & experience with problem definition, experimental design/execution, & problem solving. This key technical position will allow one to express oneself with in the entrepreneurial culture of the L’Oréal group & be part of the creation of beauty of the future.

The role of the Hair Fiber & Scalp Discovery Domain is to identify & develop disruptive technologies that will address future consumer needs & transform the beauty industry in more sustainable & disruptive ways. The function is responsible for developing mechanistic insights & hair fiber knowledge to enable identification of new Actives, materials & formulations, including anti-oxidants, bioactives, Smart Materials, composites etc. in partnership with other departments internally or outstanding academic labs and start-ups. As a Global organization, the Hair Fiber & Scalp Discovery Domain is a Global function operating from many countries. A key measure of success for the Domain is to create knowledge based high performing materials & prototypes that are protected by strong, strategic & holistic intellectual property for the group. Working closely with cross functional teams, this position requires high technical as well as early prototyping skills & a strong attitude for working in multi-expertise, multi-cultural teams with agility.

As a Senior Scientist in our Hair Fiber & Scalp Discovery Domain team, your main responsibilities are:

• Translate consumer needs into technical problem statements, identify right material technologies to address the needs & beauty aspirations to deliver various consumer perceivable benefits for hair (styling, coloring, repair).
• Propose new green science driven actives, characterize & demonstrate relevant performance to address unmet consumer needs/benefits.
• Design & conduct experiments individually as well as with team, to validate hypothesis & performance targets
• Interact with various groups across all L’OREAL R&I organization, to ensure new materials & composite are meeting the needs of the broader priorities.
• Maintain a health external focus on new technology developments & Conduct literature searches, IP landscaping as needed by oneself & through partnership with the IP & legal departments to ensure that the latest technologies are explored for relevant applications in creative ways & we create competitive advantage
• Fuel discussions on new technologies, materials, formulations & contribute to strengthening of projects
• Support new & existing product development & application goals as needed by projects
• Expected to be a very effective communicator across the organization to provide clear recommendations on various new Materials, actives & formulations to both scientific & non-scientific audiences

To Succeed in this Position, You Have:

• A completed Masters or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Material Sciences, Bio-Physics, Bio-Materials, Textiles, Chemical Engineering, Bio-Chemistry or comparable Sciences is required
• 2-5 years of industry research experience is required
• Experience in hair/fiber research including but not limited to textiles, smart-fabrics, active compounds, chemical treatments, biophysical characterization, or structure-activity relationships preferred
• Excellent communication (verbal, written) & interpersonal skills required with high sensitivity to a very diverse global culture
• Well organized & flexible with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced highly matrixed environment while meeting established deadlines
• Demonstrated skills in analyzing, reporting & documenting information with attention to detail
• Ability to work independently in a matrix environment both as a team member & as a leader
• Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time, permanent, ongoing basis, without the need for sponsorship now or in the future.

What's In It For You: 

• Corporate Short-Term Incentives (Corporate Profit-Sharing Bonus, Individual Performance Bonuses based on level)
• Competitive Benefit Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
• Hybrid Work Policy (Up to 2 Days per week work from home for eligible roles, subject to manager approval)
• Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)
• Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L’Oréal’s Internal Shop for Discounted Products)
• Learning & Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)
• Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
• Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs

Don’t meet every single requirement? At L'Oréal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or disability, or any other legally protected status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application for a recognized disability under applicable law, please email [email protected]. Please note this email will only respond to specific requests for assistance completing the application as a request for accommodation for a disability. All others will not be considered.

Our Safe Together Plan: Your safety is our highest priority. We will proceed with caution and adhere to enhanced protection standards to ensure our sites are safe for all employees. We must all operate with the shared responsibility for each other’s health & safety in mind.