Product Development Manager, Formulation Private Label

COMPANY

L&R Distributorsis seeking a Product Development Manager of Formulation to lead high-impact product development initiatives across various beauty categories.

This is a hands-on technical role responsible for driving products from concept through commercialization including formulation testing and manufacturing scale-up. The role offers a unique opportunity to work on both established shelf-ready products and new product innovation for major retail channels.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in formulation development contract manufacturing and OTC products along with a strong ability to lead cross-functional execution and deliver high-quality consumer products at scale. The Product Development Manager Formulation team member reports to the Vice President of Product Development.

Key Responsibilities

1) Product Development & Scale-Up

• Drive formulation development to achieve targeted performance sensory attributes appearance and claims
• Coordinate validation and commercialization readiness across product lines
• Manage timelines critical paths and cost considerations for development and scale-up
• Drive lab pilot and full-scale production in partnership with contract manufacturers
• Ensure smooth transition into manufacturing with consistent quality and supply

2) OTC SPF & Regulatory

• Serve as day-to-day driver for OTC and SPF product development under the guidance of the VP of Product Development
• Partner with Regulatory to support claims substantiation and ensure compliance with FDA and U.S. regulations
• Align formulations testing protocols and documentation with on-pack claims
• Coordinate development testing including stability compatibility and performance validation
• Ensure formulations are compatible with packaging and meet regulatory expectations prior to launch

3) Cross-Functional Supplier Management

• Act as the primary day-to-day contact across a network of contract manufacturing partners
• Coordinate formulation development testing scale-up and technology transfer
• Collaborate with Packaging teams to ensure formulapackage compatibility and aligned timelines
• Partner closely with Quality Regulatory and Commercial teams to drive execution
• Maintain clear documentation and communicate development progress to stakeholders

4) New Product Innovation

• Drive end-to-end development of new products for a range of retail channels
• Translate customer briefs into scalable compliant and cost-effective formulations
• Support innovation across mass retail drug grocery specialty and club channels
• Balance innovation initiatives alongside ongoing product development priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Chemistry Biology or a related field
• 8 years of product development experience in beauty personal care and/or OTC categories
• Demonstrated experience with OTC drug products and SPF formulations
• Strong background working with contract manufacturers
• Proven ability to manage complex development timelines testing programs and budgets
• Preferred to have experience supporting major retail customers
• Familiarity with shelf-ready packaging and retail quality expectations
• Strong cross-functional collaboration with Packaging Regulatory and Quality teams
• Ability to travel as needed to CM locations during production runs located mostly in the Los Angeles area.

Work Schedule:

Hybrid Schedule - Monday through Friday 8:30AM to 5:00PM with variation based on business demands (Mon & Fri remote Tues - Thurs in-office)

Pay range: $110000 to $120000

The Company provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race color creed religion gender age sexual orientation national origin disability veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state federal or local law.

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