POSITION ID # 35884
TITLE: Product Development Manager - Beauty & Haircare
LOCATION: GTA - North Toronto area
WORK TYPE: HYBRID - 3-4 days in-office as required
Salary Range: base between $70,000 - $110,000 - depending on experience
ABOUT OUR CLIENT:
Our client, a high-growth beauty and personal care company, is seeking a seeking a dynamic and innovative Product Development Manager with experience in beauty, cosmetics or haircare to drive the end-to-end development process for new and existing products. This role is ideal for a results-driven professional with a strong background in product formulation, claims validation, and quality standards who thrives in a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry. A background in the Beauty, Cosmetics, & Personal Care, as well as Licenses in Professional Hairstyling and Trichology are assets for this role.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Product Development Manager will perform a diverse range of functions including but limited to:
- Lead the product development process, including concept creation, brief development, formula development, evaluations, and launch production.
- Collaborate with brand teams to align innovation strategies and pipeline development.
- Conduct competitive and trend analysis to identify white space opportunities and new product potential.
- Develop clear product concepts, including benefits, claims, and reasons to believe.
- Oversee product formulation efforts, ensuring alignment with brand vision, consumer expectations, and regulatory standards.
- Work closely with contract manufacturers and R&D teams to develop high-performance formulations, leveraging a deep understanding of hair biology and ingredient interactions.
- Evaluate product performance, ensuring high standards of quality, efficacy, and consistency.
- Identify opportunities to improve existing formulations and lead formula renovations as needed.
- Assess packaging functionality in conjunction with formula to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.
- Work with research and development teams to validate consumer and analytical claims.
- Oversee product launch preparations, including first production runs, marketing copy development, and ingredient fact sheet compilation.
- Manage day-to-day communication between Brand, Operations, Regulatory Compliance, Quality, and Manufacturing teams to ensure seamless execution.
- Coordinate sampling needs for internal testing, consumer trials, and early launch requirements.
- Support the approval process and resolve pending items to facilitate smooth commercialization.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications:
- BS/BA or advanced degree in Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Chemical Engineering, Biology, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience in product formulation and development, with a focus on haircare, beauty, and/ or cosmetics.
- Strong expertise in formulation chemistry, raw material interactions, and stability testing.
- Professional licenses in Hairstyling or Trichology are a plus.
- Understanding of fragrance compatibility with formulations, stability testing, and experience working with fragrance houses is an asset.
- Knowledge of key competitors, target users, and industry trends.
- Strong project management skills, with an entrepreneurial mindset to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.
- Deep understanding of the haircare category and consumer behavior.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Upbeat, team-oriented, and collaborative personality.
- A background in Beauty, Cosmetics, or CPG industries is an asset.