Research Scientist- Oral Care Product Development

Research Scientist‑ Oral Care Product Development

Apply for the Research Scientist‑ Oral Care Product Development role at Colgate‑Palmolive
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Job Number: 170414 – Piscataway, New Jersey, United States.

Colgate‑Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries, specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand worldwide. We are an innovative, growth‑oriented company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet, guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous.

This role focuses on the technical development of new oral care products, from experimental demonstration to commercialization of advanced formulas from laboratory to technical readiness.

• Lead the development and validation of oral care products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, and novel formats for global markets, focusing on freshness offerings and adjacent categories.
• Apply technical knowledge of chemistry and science (active delivery systems, emulsions, surfactants, rheology, liquid chemistry) to new product innovation.
• Lead experimental designs to identify launch formulations and production processes.
• Prepare lab and pilot batches for stability testing and other validations—including consumer tests, clinicals, and customer sampling.
• Provide day‑to‑day recommendations and elevate issues related to formula development.
• Stay current with supplier and competitor developments.

• Manage multiple stability studies across lab, pilot, and plant scales; collaborate with analytical, flavor, microbiology, and other support groups to deliver samples and follow up on results.
• Support pilot plant batches by preparing batch sheets, requesting raw materials, pre‑weighing materials, and executing batch runs.
• Create and maintain all required R&D documentation for flawless, high‑quality commercialization.
• Ensure documentation complies with GMP/GLP per FDA/ICH guidelines as required.
• Maintain documentation on R&D project timelines, formula databases, tech transfer checklists, proof of claims, registration documents, and technical justifications.

• Serve as the R&D point of contact for commercial teams on Freshness‑related projects.
• Manage independent projects and collaborate with cross‑functional teams, leveraging diverse perspectives to achieve key project goals.
• Deliver effective presentations of technical data and project status, including experimental demonstrations of product mode of action.
• Abide by and follow all company SOPs, including those for product development, regulatory, and safety.
• Be self‑motivated, able to work within a team environment, and capable of managing multiple tasks with changing priorities.

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s or MS degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Food Science, or related fields.
• 3+ years of experience developing and/or implementing consumer products.
• In‑depth understanding of related chemistry and science (active delivery, emulsions, surfactants, rheology, liquid chemistry).
• Strong knowledge of ingredient chemistry to understand how raw material interdependencies and interactions affect formulation and process performance.
• Ability to multi‑task and coordinate simultaneous projects.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Self‑motivated and able to work well within a team environment.
• Knowledge of cGMP/GMP and GLP.
• Excellent computer skills (MS Office, Google Suite, SAP, etc.).

• Knowledge of equipment and procedures for making oral care formulations.
• Experience running stability studies for OTC/Drug products.
• Strong project planning and management experience.
• Knowledge of the regulatory environment across the globe.
• Knowledge of ICH/FDA guidelines for stability and testing of new drug products.

Salary Range: $83,000.00 – $ USD. Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried…