Director Formulation Development Jobs in California

About the Role:

Dr. Squatch is seeking a Head of R&D to lead the next phase of technical and product innovation across the organization. We are seeking a hands-on technical leader who can help scale and evolve the organization's product development capabilities while navigating the increasing operational complexity that comes with rapid growth across retail and omnichannel channels.

The ideal candidate combines deep formulation expertise with strong operational judgment and an entrepreneurial mindset. This person should be equally comfortable evaluating ingredient systems, troubleshooting manufacturing realities, influencing executive stakeholders, and making practical decisions in fast-moving environments. Success in the role will require balancing speed, scalability, quality, cost, and formulation integrity without creating unnecessary process or bureaucracy.

Reporting into executive leadership, the Head of R&D will oversee a multidisciplinary technical organization spanning formulation, product development, and manufacturing/process engineering. They will serve as a key strategic and technical partner internally and with Unilever stakeholders as the company continues expanding across categories and channels. The mandate is not simply to support the current business - it is to help build the technical foundation, team, and operating capabilities needed for the next stage of growth.

This is a full-time, hybrid role with company benefits, based in Marina Del Rey, CA, that requires 3 days per week at Dr. Squatch HQ.
The anticipated base compensation range for this role will be $190,000 to $210,000. Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate's experience and local market rates.

What You'll Do:

• Technical Development & Formulation Leadership
  • Own technical strategy and decision-making across the full product development lifecycle
  • Lead formulation development across soaps, deodorants, body care, hair care, skincare, and adjacent categories
  • Evaluate ingredient systems, raw materials, and manufacturing processes to ensure product performance, scalability, and brand alignment
  • Serve as the company's senior technical authority across formulation, quality, and product performance discussions
  • Translate complex scientific concepts into clear, actionable recommendations for commercial and executive stakeholders
  • Ensure speed-to-market without compromising formulation integrity, product quality, or technical rigor
• Innovation & Pipeline Leadership
  • Lead the innovation pipeline from concept through commercialization across new products, reformulations, and adjacent category expansion
  • Partner cross-functionally to identify whitespace opportunities and prioritize future growth platforms
  • Drive a consumer- and insight-led innovation agenda while balancing operational feasibility and regulatory considerations
  • Build scalable development processes and ways of working that improve agility, execution, and cross-functional collaboration
  • Help evolve the organization's long-term R&D and innovation capabilities as the business continues to scale
• Manufacturing & External Partnerships
  • Lead technical relationships with contract manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and external development partners
  • Oversee manufacturing scale-up and troubleshooting activities across co-manufacturing networks
  • Support cost optimization and continuous improvement initiatives without compromising consumer experience or product quality
  • Navigate technical tradeoffs and stakeholder alignment with strong judgment and influence
• Team Leadership
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team spanning formulation, product development, and manufacturing/process engineering
  • Foster a culture of accountability, technical excellence, curiosity, and collaboration
  • Help attract, develop, and retain high-potential technical talent
  • Operate as a player-coach leader capable of moving fluidly between strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving

About You:

• Required Experience
  • 10+ years of progressive R&D leadership experience within personal care, beauty, or adjacent consumer products categories
  • Deep hands-on formulation experience; candidates must have meaningful time spent "at the bench," not solely in oversight positions
  • Proven experience scaling formulations through external manufacturing partners and co-manufacturers
  • Demonstrated success leading and developing technical teams
  • Strong ability to communicate effectively with executive, commercial, and technical stakeholders
  • Experience operating effectively in high-growth, fast-paced environments
  • Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related scientific discipline; advanced degree preferred
  • Willingness to relocate to or work in the Los Angeles area on a hybrid basis
• Strongly Preferred
  • Experience within natural, naturally derived, or clean formulation systems
  • Familiarity with standards such as ISO 16128
  • Experience operating within a founder-led or entrepreneurial brand that later scaled within a larger enterprise environment
  • OTC or sunscreen category experience
  • Exposure to cost optimization and margin improvement initiatives
  • Experience balancing innovation speed with technical rigor and operational scalability

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