Associate Manager, Research & Development - Personal Care

SC Johnson Lifestyle Brands • San Francisco, CA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

SC Johnson Lifestyle Brands (LSB), located in San Francisco, is home to innovative, purpose-driven brands like Method®, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, babyganics®, and Ecover®. As part of SC Johnson, LSB blends creativity and sustainability to deliver products that make a positive impact on people and the planet. In this Associate Manager role, you’ll lead the formulation and commercialization of sustainable, cost-effective personal care products. You’ll represent your function on cross-functional teams, driving product development from concept to market. Success in this role requires deep formulation expertise, hands-on lab experience, and strong communication and collaboration skills. You’ll thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment where creative problem-solving and a passion for sustainability are key. Join us to help shape the future of household and personal care through innovation that matters.

Requirements

• Bachelors Degree and 5+ years' experience in formulation/product development with at least 3+ years experience in the Personal Care industry OR Advanced Degree and 3+ years relevant experience
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship for full-time employment

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of SAP and PLM data managements systems
• Intermediate to advance experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Responsibilities

• Develop new formulations and line extensions using green chemistry tools that meet our consumer and technical objectives.
• Conduct performance and stability studies to ensure products deliver on quality, on budget and on the product experience.
• Work with your manager and project teams to understand project criteria and build plans for developing new products, executing line extensions and enabling cost savings.
• Develop and support compelling, consumer-noticeable claims for our products, conduct competitive analysis studies and collaborate with sales and marketing teams to develop label copy, graphics, usage instructions and claims substantiation.
• Develop test methodologies to support product development and quality assurance/control activities, assist QA team with physical standard production and maintenance
• Utilize SAP/PLM to manage product setup, product specifications, documentation and enable global collaboration
• Work independently in the lab and help maintain lab hygiene, lab safety, processes and documentation
• Work with suppliers to evaluate sustainable chemistries through testing and timely feedback, iterative material improvements and incorporation into products
• Continually assess and upgrade formulation capabilities, including technical knowledge base, test methods and formulation skills
• Stay abreast of new competitive launches, emerging trends and regularly survey the competitive landscape
• Communicate effectively in project settings and provide timely updates to team on progress, developments, risks and opportunities

Benefits

• Subsidized health insurance benefits package
• Competitive vacation + holiday bundle
• Generous retirement match + pre-tax savings options
• Dedicated volunteer time, to be a force for good
• Pioneering events + experiences that build team connection (...ask us about the Packaging Olympics, Bubble Bash, Ping Pong Tournament + more!)
• Access to discounted/free products

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees