Senior Manager – R&D (Formulation Innovation)

About the role

The Senior Manager – R&D will lead end‑to‑end formulation innovation for Purplle’s private label and exclusive beauty brands. This role combines deep technical expertise with commercial judgment to deliver new molecules, actives, and proprietary technology platforms that differentiate the brand portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Own formulation development across skincare, haircare, personal care and colour cosmetics, from benchmarking to lab‑scale optimisation and rapid prototyping.
• Lead creation of new molecules, active systems, encapsulation and delivery technologies, partnering with raw‑material suppliers and research labs.
• Manage scale‑up and tech transfer with contract manufacturers, including pilot batches, SOPs, BMRs and troubleshooting.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with Indian Cosmetics Rules and relevant global regulations, supporting ingredient approvals and claim substantiation.
• Control formulation costing, drive cost optimisation and lead reformulation initiatives to meet margin targets.
• Provide technical leadership to the R&D team and support IP generation.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading formulation innovation in cosmetics or consumer‑goods R&D.
• Strong blend of technical expertise, commercial judgment and execution speed.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with sourcing, finance, regulatory and manufacturing partners.

Required skills

• Formulation development (lab‑scale and pilot scale)
• Scale‑up and tech transfer
• Regulatory compliance (Indian and global cosmetics regulations)
• Costing and BOM analysis
• Partnering with raw‑material suppliers and technology partners

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape the R&D strategy for a fast‑growing beauty brand.
• Access to cutting‑edge cosmetic technologies and proprietary platforms.
• Collaborative, high‑impact work environment.