Sr. R&D Chemist

Waukegan, Illinois
Full Time

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Kelly Science & Clinical has an immediate opening for a Senior R&D Chemist for our growing client near Chicago, IL

Full-time

Direct Hire

Salary: $90,000-$110,000

Join a Creative, Science-Driven Team Thats Shaping the Future of Beauty & Personal Care

Were seeking an experienced Senior R&D Chemist to help bring cutting-edge health, beauty, and personal care products to life. In this role, youll lead the end-to-end formulation processfrom concept through scale-upand collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure every product not only meets but exceeds expectations in quality, safety, and innovation.

This is a dynamic opportunity for a passionate chemist who thrives on developing innovative formulas, solving complex technical challenges, and playing a key role in bringing market-ready products to customers.

What Youll Do:

Formulate and develop skin care, hair care, and other personal care products using advanced emulsion and surfactant systems.
Revise, improve, and reformulate existing products and conduct reverse engineering of competitive benchmarks.
Support all stages of product development: lab batching, stability testing, pilot batches, production scale-ups, and tech transfers.
Maintain accurate documentation and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Conduct analytical testing (pH, viscosity, specific gravity, solids %) and sensory evaluation to ensure formulation success.
Collaborate directly with marketing, sales, and customers to interpret briefs, present samples, and translate feedback into action.
Research and recommend new ingredients, raw materials, and suppliers.
Lead or contribute to process improvements, cost-saving initiatives, and continuous innovation in formulation science.

What Were Looking For:

Education & Background

BS or MS in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Material Science, or a related field.
5+ years of hands-on formulation experience in personal care, health & beauty, or cosmetic product development.

Technical Skills & Experience

Strong expertise in emulsions, surfactants, and ingredient compatibility.
Experience in lab-to-production scale-up, including writing and reviewing master batch records.
Familiarity with US and EU cosmetic regulations and stability testing protocols.
Bench testing knowledge including pH, viscosity, specific gravity, and solids.
Experience with reverse engineering and troubleshooting out-of-spec batches.
Proficient with cosmetic lab equipment (e.g., viscometer, pH meter, pycnometer, moisture analyzer).
Strong computer skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint.

Preferred Extras

Experience with color cosmetics or household/cleaning products is a plus.
Background in customer-facing product development or marketing collaboration.
Familiarity with SAP or similar ERP tools is beneficial.

Who You Are:

A detail-oriented, innovative thinker who thrives in the lab.
Comfortable juggling multiple projects with competing priorities.
A strong communicator who enjoys collaborating across teams.
A problem-solver who loves finding solutions, not just identifying issues.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs.
Must be comfortable alternating between sitting, standing, and moving throughout the lab and production areas.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a collaborative, fast-moving, and innovative product development team.
Enjoy the opportunity to work on a variety of new product launches and client-driven projects.
Work in a company culture that values science, creativity, and quality equally.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):