Unilever International - R&D - Skin Care Formulation - Executive

Job Description:

Job Title: Unilever International - R&D - Skin Care Formulation - Executive 

Location:  Mumbai

Function: Unilever International R&D

Geographic scope: Global

Business Context:

Unilever International is Unilever’s White Space Arm! With a TO of 1.4 billion € it is one of the fastest and profitable business of Unilever.  UI works across the world to fill white spaces for Unilever. As intrapreneurs, we introduce Unilever’s brands into white space geographies like Korea, Pacific Islands, Mongolia, and spearhead launches of iconic household brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Fair & Lovely, TRESemme into big markets like U.S, China, Western Europe, and SEAA.    

As Unilever’s growth engine, we establish global white space businesses in key channels such as Health & Beauty, Discounters, E-Commerce, and alternate channels such as travel retail, marketing to institutional partners like the United Nations, and seeding Unilever brands to overseas diaspora who crave for a taste of their familiar home brands.    

 Singapore is our global hub leading strategy, marketing thinking, seeding plans, and alignment with the global categories and supply chain. We have global presence and UI hubs all over the world.  

This position entails leading innovation processes at major facilities India export factories Europe, Thailand, and various global sites of skin care, providing an opportunity to engage with the entire global Skin Care portfolio managed by Unilever and third-party collaborators. UI Skin care product line now aims to strengthen its presence of St Ives, Sauve and Vaseline (Lips)  brand scalar programs along with expansion of core brands Dove, GAL, Pond’s, Lifebuoy etc for 1 Unilever markets with strong claims preposition and competitive performance which will be one of the key responsibilities of this role. 

The role will represent UI B&W (Skincare) R&D in UI cross functional NPD, 5S, resilience project discussion as well as in category discussion with the global R&D for innovations and 5S programmes. 

Purpose of the Job:

The purpose of this job is to support UI B&W Skincare R&D programme and take UI  Skin care business to underserved markets, channels with core and underserved brands to meet the unserved needs of the consumers globally. This involves identifying the consumer segments, their needs and preferences, and developing/Deploying products that cater to them in a cost-effective and sustainable way. Leading NPD Innovations, Cost Optimization & sourcing resilience projects.

Key Responsibilities

The role will support all R&D interventions for product development and regulatory compliance within the UI Skin care category. Additionally, the role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, including supply chain, finance, quality, and R&D, to ensure the smooth execution of the innovation pipeline and market delivery.

• Driving and delivering the innovation roadmap in collaboration with BG marketing.

• The job will lead all the R&D interventions for product development & regulatory compliance (through PSOs) for category globally.

• Responsible for project execution in line with the best practices; Manage expectations of key stakeholders by providing regular feedback on project progress.

• Leading NPD projects for Skin Care, partnering with key business stakeholders in supply chain, quality, procurement, SC finance, and BU teams. Conduct lab pilot batches for NPD projects and ensure End to End factory support and technology transfer

• Prepare Formulations documents, FG Specs as per required format, Collect Claim support Documents, Download RM specs, Formulation bench-marking

• Support for Key R&D deliverables – Product and process development, pilot scale trials, stability trials, Main Plant trials, Specification management. Conduct product storage stability and chemical physical analysis with final report

• Support to gather category KBS toolkit for adaptation in UI category portfolio.

• Support to submit product safety assessment request and close end to end.

• Develop and maintain close connection with GDC and RDCs for category.

• Drive regulatory assessments in close interaction with UI RA and PSO,  and working with marketing to ensure label/artwork compliance. Ensuring the implementation of regulatory changes across UI-specific mixes and sourcing units as per global mandates.

• Managing other key R&D deliverables such as the R&D Skin care strategy, trend analysis, OTIF delivery of innovations, 5S(Develop savings ideas in collaboration with categories and implementing them within the agreed R&D framework), and new claims.

• Leveraging category knowledge, demos, and the KBS toolkit for adaptation in UI.

• Will be a R&D business partner for category projects and will work with category R&D teams.

• Driving rigor, risk assessment, mitigation, and safety during project delivery.

Standards of Leadership:

Apart from Unilever standards the candidate must also meet the UI standards of leadership. 

• Work and win as one team 

• Inspiring and nurturing our tribe with compassion 

• Consumer and customer obsession 

• Passion for execution 

• Deep Hunger for growth 

• Digital Yoda (Digital first) 

Experience Required:

• Minimum 3-4 years of relevant R&D experience in BG/BU R&D teams. 

• Skin care experience is preferred

• Having established delivery of complex and Multiple projects desirable. 

• Having adaptability and quick decision making

• Having working knowledge on majority of the Unilever digital tools will be add advantage. 

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Postgraduate – BSc - Chem/ MSc - Chem/ BPharm/ MPharm/ B Tech/ M Tech in chemical Engineering or cosmetic technology

• Project management skills and good stakeholder management  

• Good Verbal/written Communication skills  

• Dealing with people from multicultural backgrounds. 

• Multi-tasking ability 

• Ability to work independently with Cross-functional team members 

• Travelling will be required  

• Agility and speed of response.

• Flexibility, Resilience and learning from experience