What are the responsibilities and job description for the Fragrance Director position at Duke Cannon Supply Co.?
Fragrance Director
Duke Cannon Supply Co. is a growth-oriented CPG company that operates with an entrepreneurial mindset – and has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the men’s grooming category. Our mission is to better the day of hard-working men, and we fulfill this mission through the products we build, the conversations we create, and our give-back program to veterans.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Own Duke Cannon’s fragrance strategy and portfolio architecture. Set and evolve the fragrance strategy across the portfolio, defining architecture for core and seasonal tiers. Identify whitespace, olfactive trends, and innovation platforms that support long-term growth, and keep fragrance direction aligned to brand positioning and product experience objectives.
- Author the fragrance briefs. Translate brand, consumer, and product requirements into clear, actionable olfactive direction. Define target scent profiles, performance expectations, use cases, and cost parameters, and tailor each brief to the relevant product format and base formulation.
- Lead fragrance house relationships. Brief fragrance houses and external partners, manage iteration cycles and timelines, and deliver structured, actionable feedback on submissions. Hold partners to agreed deliverables, timelines, and cost targets.
- Own fragrance evaluation and selection. Evaluate submissions in-bottle, in-use, and through dry-down. Run internal review and scoring sessions, direct refinement, and recommend final selections against brand, performance, and cost objectives.
- Direct fragrance performance across product bases. Guide fragrance performance across body wash, bar soap, deodorant, cologne, and other formats, advising on longevity, bloom, stability, and formulation compatibility. Flag technical risks such as discoloration, instability, and regulatory constraints early, and partner with Product Development to optimize fragrance in finished goods.
- Steward the olfactive brand identity. Hold consistency and integrity of Duke Cannon’s fragrance identity across every product, prevent duplication and drift within the portfolio, and own final decisions on fragrance direction and brand fit.
- Integrate consumer and market insight. Interpret consumer feedback, testing results, and competitive intelligence to shape fragrance direction, and use emerging trends to keep the portfolio differentiated, relevant, and commercially viable.
- Build internal fragrance capability. Train Duke Cannon personnel on fragrance evaluation, terminology, and trends, and develop the tools and resources that raise the organization’s fragrance fluency over time.
REQUIRED:
- 7–10 years of fragrance development experience across personal care, grooming, or fine fragrance, on the brand or fragrance-house side.
- Deep working knowledge of olfactive families, fragrance evaluation methods, and how fragrance houses operate.
- Proven track record briefing fragrance houses and driving submission and iteration cycles through to final selection.
- Working understanding of fragrance performance in functional bases such as surfactant systems, emulsions, anhydrous, and alcohol-based formats, including stability, discoloration, bloom, and longevity.
- Familiarity with fragrance regulatory and safety frameworks, such as IFRA standards and allergen labeling.
- Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to present direction and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Bachelor’s degree required (or equivalent practical experience).
- Men’s grooming or adjacent personal care category experience.
- Established relationships across major fragrance houses
- Formal fragrance evaluation or perfumery training
Duke Cannon Supply Co. offers a fast-paced environment where decisions are vetted quickly, and opportunities are relentlessly pursued. We work hard, but we value flexibility as well. We have an informal culture with an emphasis on having fun (we sell soap, after all), though we have the most fun when we exceed our goals. The company’s leaders are dedicated to the growth and development of the team; as such, we want to ensure that our people have a rich and rewarding experience with unique opportunities to grow.
Duke Cannon Supply Co.’s Main Lodge (aka the office) is in Minneapolis’ North Loop, one of the city’s most vibrant and walkable neighborhoods, with award-winning restaurants, fashionable boutiques, live music and Major League Baseball just steps away.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Duke Cannon offers a competitive market salary and bonus based on role and professional experience. The salary range for this position is $130,000 - $175,000. Our benefits are top-notch and include health & dental insurance, HSA and 401k programs supported by regular company contributions, a tuition reimbursement program, and monthly parking stipend. We also host monthly moments of Team camaraderie ranging from community service events to social hours in the Main Lodge (aka the office) to Lunch & Learns covering business, team, and industry topics.
Duke Cannon provides equal access to and opportunity in employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.