R&D Lab Manager

Location: Omaha, NE

Schedule: Monday-Friday 8AM - 5PM on site

Salary: $115k plus 10% target bonus

Leading beauty and personal care manufacturer located in Omaha, NE is in need of a R&D Manager to join the growing team!

This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on R&D leader who combines strong technical formulation expertise with proven people-management and project leadership skills.

In this role, you’ll lead a team of 5–8 formulation chemists and an R&D Lab Supervisor, overseeing product development across a diverse range of categories including hair care, skin care, body care, specialty care, pet care, and household/industrial products.

Duties

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of formulation chemists and R&D professionals.
• Oversee formulation development from initial concept through commercialization.
• Guide the team in formulation design, troubleshooting, optimization, and scale-up.
• Develop and optimize products to meet performance, cost, quality, and manufacturing requirements.
• Manage multiple R&D projects while ensuring timelines and deliverables are met.
• Partner cross-functionally with Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Commercial, and Engineering teams.
• Collaborate with Innovation and Technical Sales to support customer projects, sample development, technical documentation, and customer presentations.
• Work directly with customers to understand technical needs and present formulation solutions.
• Support pilot batches, process validation, manufacturing scale-up, and production troubleshooting.
• Oversee stability programs and coordinate stability, PET, and microbiological testing.
• Ensure accurate formulation, testing, and project documentation.
• Monitor R&D KPIs and provide reporting for business reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement, process standardization, and operational efficiency within the laboratory.
• Stay current on emerging ingredient technologies, formulation techniques, and regulatory requirements.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of formulation experience within personal care manufacturing
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of direct management experience
• Knowledge of cosmetic regulatory requirements, including FDA, MOCRA, and EU regulations.

Zing Recruiting is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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