Applications R&D Engineer

Position Summary

Vantage Specialty Chemicals is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Applications R&D Engineer to support formulation design, process development, and application testing within the Personal Care Applications R&D team. This role is ideal for an early-career engineer looking to build hands-on experience in developing cosmetic and personal care formulations and scalable manufacturing processes. The Engineer will assist in creating innovative prototype products that demonstrate the performance of Vantage ingredients across a variety of personal care formats, including cleansers, gels, serums, emulsions, sprays, and sticks. This role will also support the development of reproducible production processes, evaluate product stability, and ensure compatibility with packaging for high-quality, market-ready results. The position requires collaboration with cross-functional teams such as R&D, Marketing, and Sales, as well as external partners including contract manufacturers and customers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the development, optimization, and testing of prototype formulations using Vantage ingredients based on project briefs from Marketing and Sales.

• Design and execute experiments to evaluate ingredient application potential; includes developing formulation guidelines, preparing technical reports, and providing training and technical guidance to internal and external partners.

• Support lab-scale batch production and help define manufacturing procedures and specifications based on experimental data.

• Participate in scaling up formulations and transferring processes to external manufacturing partners.

• Conduct basic stability testing and packaging compatibility assessments.

• Conduct in-house applications testing of prototypes and/or coordinate testing with third-party service providers.

• Maintain accurate, organized records of experimental work and ensure timely data entry into internal systems.

• Coordinate with external partners to support prototype production schedules and inventory needs for support of Marketing events and customer requests.

• Analyze experimental results and contribute to recommendations for process and formulation improvements.

• Troubleshooting formulation and processing challenges and recommending robust technical solutions.

• Support the development of technical marketing content, including formulation brochures, presentations, and data summaries.

• Adhere to all safety, quality, and regulatory standards while contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Education & Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a related discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience in formulation and/or manufacturing of cosmetics and personal care products.

• Basic knowledge of ingredient chemistry, formulation techniques, and laboratory practices.

• Strong organizational and documentation skills.

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to technical audiences.

• Strong proficiency in MS Office programs, especially MS Excel and PowerPoint.

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

• Willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced R&D environment

• Authorized to work in the United States.

• Willingness to travel occasionally to manufacturing sites, partners, or customers; must be able to drive to locations in NJ tri-state area.

Knowledge, Skills, & Talents

• Exposure to personal care formulation (e.g., emulsions, surfactant systems).

• Experience in scale-up from lab-scale to commercial-scale processing equipment.

• Understanding of stability testing and product evaluation methods.

• Experience working in cross-functional teams.

Working Conditions

Travel 15%

Pay

The estimated base pay range for this position is: $70,000 - $90,000 annually. Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills and geographic location. This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program.

Benefits

Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including:

• Medical, HSA, dental, vision

• FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking)

• Life and AD&D insurance

• Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance

• Short- and long-term disability

• EAP, identity theft protection

• Paid time off, Parental Leave

• 401(k) with company match

Equal Employment Opportunity

Vantage is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category.

About Vantage

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results, and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.