Job Title: Assistant Vice President – Research &Innovation Sensory & Cognitive Science

Function: Evaluation Intelligence

Location: Clark, NJ 

Reports To: Vice President - Research & Innovation Evaluation

Are you obsessed about human senses, emotions, and cognitive understanding? Are you curious by the science behind the product and the impact on the consumer’s senses and emotions? Are you an inspirational team leader who has the ability to drive change and develop talented people in this forward thinking sensoriality/cognitive science area?

If you are, then, this is the role that you will awake your senses and spark your emotions! We are seeking a future focused, forward thinking, innovative leader obsessed with sensory & cognitive understanding who can take our Evaluation Intelligence: Sensory & Cognitive Science team to the next level!

What You Will Do: 

This key position is responsible of our North America Sensory and Cognitive Science Center of Excellence at L’Oréal by leading a business result-driven team with strong sensory knowledge for all US L’Oréal categories (skincare, hair care, hair color and makeup). 

This role will strategize and drive this team to be experts in sensory- and cognitive- enhancing technologies to develop early stage holistically consumer & product performance understanding from the science of the senses to the science of behaviors/emotions. 

This role will report to NA Head of Evaluation Intelligence and will be a key member of the Evaluation Intelligence leadership team.

Strategize and implement the overall roadmap and objectives for NA Sensory and Cognitive Science organization

· Lead a group of sensory scientists (24+) within the Evaluation Intelligence organization and be accountable of their development and performance in sensory/cognitive science, data, digital and tech. Keep building an organization that is efficient with strong talent recruitment and retention by promoting teamwork, collaboration, and an inclusive work culture

· Pioneer new sensory-enhancing technologies to better understand our evolving/diversifying consumer and their products perception/performance leveraging proof of concepts and implementation of tools such as augmented/virtual reality, behavioral science, AI, and human computer interaction, etc.

· Lead efforts to drive diversity and inclusivity in all methodologies and studies ensuring we meet the needs of all consumers in their immense diversity

· Accountable for best-in-class sensory and cognitive, and augmented digital/virtual evaluation to answer product development questions by delivering results that will help to enhance concepts, technologies, and formulas

· Remain current on industry specific issues and novel sensory/cognitive evaluation techniques and maintain external relationships to identify potential collaborators for the explorations of new methodologies

· Implement and evolve sensory program strategies to contribute to intellectual property activities, transform learnings into internal best practices and deliver those learnings to L’Oréal global network

· Implements Evaluation Intelligence sensory data strategy to develop predictive models and complex product selection by identify insights and trends from metadata analysis, to create an interactive toolkit to help accelerate product optimization in an agile way

· Work closely with L’Oréal partners to build high quality stakeholder relationships to ensure clear project objectives, alignment, growth, and value delivery as a combined team

· Owns with the team the communication of key and strategic project sensory/cognitive results to drive business decision

· Lead sensory deep-dive understanding of our current top products, competitors, and new innovations

· Lead local and global collaborations within Evaluation Intelligence, L’Oréal R&I Hubs and external partners to develop and implement panel best practices, new ways of working, and sensory/cognitive methodologies

· Develop and maintain partnerships with global counterparts to reach objectives; integrate the international scope of sensory/cognitive evaluations by striking a balance between best practices standardization and local country requirements.

What We Are Looking For: 

Masters or PhD in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Social Science, Phsycology or related field with 10+ years of sensory, cognitive, consumer, product research in a strategic function.

· 5+ years leading others with demonstrated success in developing and building a high performing Team

· Very strong people and soft skills with passion for collaboration and team building with a cross discipline team

· Experience working in an international, multi-cultural environment, and ability to think globally

· Deliver clear insights through analyzing multiple/complex data sets with experience in social media analytics, user experience, design thinking, visual and motion communication

· Excellent interpersonal, communication (written/oral) organizational skills with strong diplomacy and influencing skills

· Strong communication and analytical skills a must with the ability to engage and energize across multi-discipline

· Knowledge of innovation development, sensory and consumer insights protocols

· Knowledge and passion in beauty, cosmetics, devices, and digital technology an advantage

· Must be proficient in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel