Senior Chemist (R&D) | Bentley Labs

Location: 50 Clearview Road, Edison, NJ, 08837

Life at THG Beauty 

We know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our portfolio of leading retailers and iconic beauty brands caters to everyone, everywhere, empowering customers all over the world to look and feel fantastic.

By combining our portfolio of owned brands with a marketplace for over 1,300 third-party beauty brands through online retail sites LOOKFANTASTIC, Cult Beauty, and Dermstore, THG Beauty's ambition is to be the global digital partner of choice across the beauty industry, supporting the channel shift to online.

THG Beauty’s breadth of relationships is unique to the beauty market; it engages with brands as a retailer, a brand owner, and a product developer and manufacturer, making it the industry’s digital strategic leader. 

About Bentley Labs

Bentley Laboratories is a premier beauty contract manufacturer based in Edison, NJ. For over twenty years, Bentley has been a trusted supplier for the world’s top global beauty brands, creating and producing award-winning innovations across the skincare, bodycare, haircare, hygiene and color cosmetics  categories. Bentley’s core manufacturing capabilities include OTC’S; skincare emulsions; surfactant systems for haircare, bath & body products; hot fill processing for solid stick deodorants, lip balms, and other wax systems; and powders for dry shampoos and loose powder face applications. Known for its innovation capabilities, quality, and manufacturing excellence, Bentley maintains the highest standards in GMP compliance, safety, and operational efficiency.

About the Role

As a key member of the Research & Development team, the Senior Chemist will lead the formulation and development of innovative, stable, and compliant personal care, cosmetic, and OTC products. This role involves hands-on formulation work, lab batch preparation, stability testing, and customer sample submissions. The Senior Chemist will collaborate cross-functionally with Sales Executives, Lab Technicians, and raw material vendors, bringing technical expertise and creativity to each project. A strong understanding of ingredients, processing methods, and regulatory standards is essential, along with a proactive approach to communication, innovation, and lab documentation.

As a Senior Chemist (R&D) you will:

• Review new Product development requests (PDR’s) and collaborates with SE’s for additional clarification; assign tentative project completion dates.
• Develop new formulations utilizing in-depth knowledge of chemical Ingredients and processes that meet the desired technical and aesthetic attributes specified by customers on PDR.
• Prepare lab batches of formulas needed for submitting samples for customer analysis within lab schedule, and reformulating / resubmitting them based on customer’s feedback.
• Maintain detailed and organized lab notebook with detailed observations while making lab batch.
• Develop detailed lab scale process for success including order of addition, critical raw materials and processing parameters, bench standard and benchmark, and lab scale preliminary specification and test results
• Provide SE and customer technical support, participation on account teams and teleconferences
• Work closely and collaboratively with lab technicians, to teach, coordinate and collaborate on projects leading to well-planned and executed bench work and successful sample submissions
• Perform and monitor stability with lab technician, utilizing approved stability protocol, and reformulate if initial formula is unstable.
• Meet with raw material vendors to learn about new technologies and new raw materials that can be utilized to create/improve Bentley’s innovative technology offerings.
• Communicate all information regarding formulation, project status, costing, and results to all appropriate individuals, maintaining confidentiality requirements.
• Collaborate as a key team member across the R&D department, contributing innovative ideas, expertise, knowledge, experiences with strong team spirit, and pride in the organization’s contribution to the company
• Perform/Monitor calibration and validation of all lab instruments with Lab Technicians.
• Maintain clean, safe and well-organized lab working area. 

What skills and experience do I need for this role?

• Bachelor of Science degree in cosmetic science, chemistry or biochemistry. Masters degree preferred
• 7+ years of experience in developing products with formulation knowledge in different forms like emulsions, gels, sprays, shampoos.
• Strong ability to manage multiple projects. 
• Development of stable and compliant personal care, cosmetics and OTC products
• Timely shipment of lab samples to customers/marketing/testing facilities
• Continual and ongoing collaboration/communication of the status of project to Sales Executives
• Documentation of detailed observations and specifications
• Learning of new technology via researching new raw materials and processes
• Establishing preliminary product specifications and detailed lab process

Compensation

• $85,000–$95,000 annually, based on experience, skills, and qualifications.