What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cosmetic Chemist position at Modern Molecule Labs?
About Modern Molecule Labs
Modern Molecule Labs is a new cosmetic manufacturing company building high-quality, science-backed skincare formulations for facial treatments and personal care brands. We're assembling a founding team to bring our formulation and production capabilities to life from the ground up.
Position Summary
We're seeking an experienced Cosmetic Chemist to lead formulation development, product testing and quality control as a founding member of our lab team. This role will be central to building our product line, from concept through to production-ready formulas, ensuring every product meets the highest standards of safety, efficacy and consistency.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, test and refine cosmetic and skincare formulations (facial treatments, serums, cleansers, masks and related product lines)
- Conduct stability testing, compatibility testing and quality assurance on all formulations
- Ensure compliance with FDA cosmetic regulations, GMP standards and relevant state licensing requirements
- Source and evaluate raw materials, ingredients and suppliers
- Scale formulations from bench-top to full production batches
- Collaborate with packaging and manufacturing teams to ensure formula integrity through production
- Maintain detailed documentation including formulation records, batch records and safety data sheets
- Troubleshoot production issues related to formulation or ingredient performance
- Stay current on skincare ingredient trends, regulatory changes and industry innovation
- Support new product development timelines in partnership with leadership
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Chemical Engineering or related field
- 3 years of experience in cosmetic or personal care product formulation
- Working knowledge of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and FDA cosmetic regulations
- Experience with skincare-specific formulations (facials, serums, treatments) strongly preferred
- Familiarity with stability and compatibility testing protocols
- Strong attention to detail and documentation skills
- Ability to work cross-functionally with operations and brand teams
- Comfortable working in a startup, build-from-scratch environment
Preferred
- Experience scaling formulations from R&D to commercial production
- Existing relationships with raw material suppliers and ingredient houses
- Experience in a private label or contract manufacturing setting
Pay: $60,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
Salary : $60,000 - $75,000