Associate Director Research Development Jobs in Toronto, ON

Manager, Research & Development

Reports To: Director, R&D and Technical Services

Department: Research & Development

Status: Full-Time

About Our Client

Our client is a leading contract manufacturer of household and personal care products, committed to developing innovative, high-quality solutions for customers across North America. With a strong focus on product excellence, sustainability, and continuous improvement, the company offers a collaborative environment where innovation and technical expertise are highly valued.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director of R&D and Technical Services, the Manager, Research & Development will lead the development of innovative formulations across the Laundry, Household Care, and Personal Care product categories.

This position combines scientific expertise, project leadership, and strategic thinking to develop new products, improve existing formulations, and support commercialization within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop innovative formulations for laundry, household care, and personal care products.
• Design products that meet customer requirements for performance, cost, quality, regulatory compliance, and manufacturability.
• Evaluate formulation interactions affecting product stability, functionality, shelf life, processing, and safety.
• Apply scientific principles and structured experimentation to solve technical challenges and optimize formulations.
• Research and evaluate new raw materials and emerging technologies.
• Develop and maintain raw material specifications and product documentation.
• Support manufacturing scale-up and commercialization activities.
• Ensure compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including method development, validation, SOP creation, and laboratory equipment calibration.
• Conduct literature reviews, competitive product evaluations, and patent searches.
• Develop analytical methods and laboratory capabilities to support formulation development and competitive benchmarking.
• Design in-house product performance testing and accelerated screening methods.
• Maintain complete and accurate laboratory documentation, including batch records, inventories, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), analytical methods, and laboratory notebooks while protecting confidential information and intellectual property.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing operation.
• Collaborate with Quality, Operations, Production, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.
• Coordinate projects with raw material suppliers, fragrance houses, third-party laboratories, and external testing facilities.
• Work safely while complying with all health and safety policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• 5–10 years of progressive R&D experience within household care, personal care, consumer products, or specialty chemical manufacturing.
• Strong formulation experience with surfactants, emulsions, detergents, and related raw materials.
• Proven experience developing products from concept through commercialization.
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Familiarity with FDA, OTC, and Health Canada regulatory requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Excellent research and technical documentation abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Experience leading or mentoring technical teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Manufacturing process engineering experience is considered an asset.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary- $95000- $140 000
• Annual incentive bonus
• Comprehensive employer-paid health and dental benefits
• Three weeks of vacation
• Career advancement opportunities within a growing organization
• Collaborative, innovative, and team-oriented work environment

This role is for an existing vacancy.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diversity, respect, integrity, collaboration, and innovation are valued.