Chemist, Hair Color Development, L'Oréal Research & Innovation – Clark, New Jersey

Life is too short for a boring career, so build an extraordinary one with us. We believe your career should spark the same thrill and curiosity as your personal interests. Creativity drives everything we do, turning ideas into meaningful impact. With opportunities across brands, markets, and divisions, your growth knows no boundaries.

Who We Are

Join us at L'Oréal, the world's #1 beauty company present in over 150 markets. For over a century, we have been transforming; fueled by data, tech, innovation, and science. Together, we tackle big challenges while making sure we stay committed to making the world a more inclusive and a better place for everyone & our planet.

At L'Oréal Research & Innovation we are pushing the boundaries of Science & Tech. We invest heavily in cutting-edge research, leveraging advanced technologies to understand skin, hair, and microbiome, while discovering new active ingredients and launching outperforming formulas. Our 3,500 L'Oréal R&I experts leverage Science & Technology to invent safe, trustable, sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people's lives.

Our Hair Color Development team is where chemistry meets creativity. We are responsible for developing the next generation of hair color formulations — from concept to consumer — driven by a relentless passion for performance, safety, and self-expression. Working at the intersection of science, consumer insight, and brand ambition, our team collaborates across R&I, Marketing, and Manufacturing to deliver hair color innovations that are as responsible and sustainable as they are transformative.

We are seeking a Chemist to join our Hair Color Development team at our Clark, New Jersey facility. This is a hands-on, bench-level formulation role for a scientist who loves the craft of chemistry — someone who finds as much satisfaction in a perfectly optimized formula as in the moment a consumer falls in love with a new shade.

A Day in the Life: As a Chemist on the Hair Color Development team, you will:

• Lead the formulation of innovative hair color products at the bench — initiating project concepts, developing research objectives, and independently driving multiple significant R&I projects from ideation through completion, with limited supervision and a strong bias for results.
• Investigate and resolve complex formulation challenges with scientific rigor and creative problem-solving, bringing a proactive, solutions-first mindset to every technical obstacle you encounter.
• Mobilize and coordinate cross-functional contributors — both internally and externally — ensuring the right technical resources, expertise, and timelines are in place to meet project targets and brand launch commitments.
• Monitor formula quality and conformity, ensuring every formulation meets the highest standards of performance, safety, and regulatory compliance throughout the development lifecycle.
• Act as a scientific champion and trusted advisor across your projects — providing expert guidance, playing an active advisory role, and helping cross-functional partners navigate technical trade-offs with confidence.
• Stay at the forefront of hair color science, continuously monitoring scientific literature, patent landscapes, raw material innovations, emerging processing methodologies, and evolving consumer and marketing trends to fuel the next wave of innovation.
• Drive deep cross-functional collaboration across departments and divisions — including Marketing, Manufacturing, Safety, and Regulatory — as well as with external partners and suppliers, serving as a key connector between science and business.

We Are Looking For: You're a great match for this role if you are an innovator, entrepreneur, integrator, and problem-solver with a genuine passion for hair science and a hands-on approach to formulation research.

• Education: A completed Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or a related scientific field is required. 
• Experience: 1–3 years of experience in hair product development, formulation research, or a related R&I environment is required. Prior experience specifically in hair color formulation is preferred.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Scientific knowledge in hair color formulations and hair science, with a solid understanding of the chemistry underpinning color development, deposition, and longevity.
  • Intermediate knowledge of product innovation and development processes, including stage-gate workflows and project prioritization.
  • Proficiency in formulation techniques, analytical methods, and laboratory systems relevant to hair care product development.
  • Developing cross-disciplinary scientific background with the ability to connect knowledge across chemistry, biology, and consumer science domains.
  • Intermediate proficiency with applicable IT and R&I laboratory systems.
• Soft Skills & Attributes:
  • A hands-on, bench-first mentality — you love the science, you love the lab, and you bring energy and precision to every experiment.
  • Strong communication skills across formats — oral, written, and presentation — with the ability to convey complex technical findings clearly to both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
  • Proven project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and deliver on time without sacrificing quality.
  • A collaborative team player who thrives in an internal network, builds strong relationships across functions, and proactively shares knowledge.
  • A curious, growth-oriented mindset — always eager to learn new techniques, explore adjacent scientific domains, and challenge your own assumptions.
• Authorization to work in the United States on a full-time, permanent, ongoing basis is required. No immigration support/sponsorship offered for this role.
• The ability to be onsite, in the office 3 days a week, as this is an essential function of the position, including our NY and NJ sites (required)

What's In It For You

• A place for you to leave your comfort zone and grow beyond your potential (here, you’ll be encouraged to try new things and take risks!)
• Real responsibility from day 1, there’s no sitting on the sidelines at L’Oréal
• An environment where people of every ethnicity, social background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities are accepted, can speak up, will thrive and are celebrated!
• A place where you can contribute to something bigger! Many of our brands have societal /environmental causes to make concrete difference
• Base Salary Range: $65,400 - $91,500 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level) 
• Competitive Benefits 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, Monthly Mobile Allowance)
• Learning and 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’re committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination against any applicant for employment because of the individual’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, visible and/or invisible disabilities, socio-economic and/or multicultural origins, health conditions, age, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law.