Garcoa Laboratories – Calabasas, CA

Category: Cosmetics / Toiletries / Contract Manufacturing
Job Title: Innovation Chemist (Personal Care & Beauty)
Experience Level: Mid-Level
Job Function: Research & Development – Garcoa Innovation Group
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Calabasas, California (Los Angeles Area)

Salary: $90k-110k or …….

Job Description:

We are thrilled to announce the expansion of Garcoa’s Innovation Foundry at our Calabasas headquarters! We aren't just expanding a department; we’re building a dedicated space for Applied Innovation to redefine personal care and beauty standards. To support this growth, we are seeking a highly skilled and passionate Innovation Chemist—a creative builder who thrives at the intersection of bench science and emerging consumer trends.

The ideal candidate will have a strong, hands-on background in cosmetic chemistry, with a focus on technology in skincare, haircare, body care, hot pours, and home goods. You will play a critical role in executing new formulations, developing innovative products, and translating forward-thinking trends into physical prototypes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Execute Innovative Formulation: Design, develop, and bench-test high-performance "head-to-toe" formulations across multiple personal care categories.
• Balance Creativity and COGS: Collaborate on turning blue-sky innovation concepts into mass-market viable products, respecting Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) targets during development.
• Support Daily Lab Operations: Perform daily lab activities, including precise sample processing, raw material evaluations, and processing product development requests.
• Testing & Quality Control: Conduct rigorous stability, compatibility, and QA/QC testing on new formulations, making technical adjustments to meet strict quality and shelf-life standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Management, Product Development, Regulatory, and Production teams to ensure accurate product specifications and seamless manufacturing scale-up.
• Apply Green Chemistry Concepts: Incorporate emerging technologies, sustainable ingredients, and green chemistry initiatives into everyday formulation tasks.
• Rigorous Documentation: Maintain highly organized laboratory notebooks, documenting all phases of R&D including exact formulation procedures, test reports, and raw material data.
• Technical Communication: Provide clear communication and technical feedback to internal departments and support client requests as needed.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Experience: Minimum of 3 to 5 years of hands-on experience in "head-to-toe" formulation, with a track record of supporting products from bench concept to a high-volume marketplace.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or a related scientific discipline is preferred, but a proven ability to create without limits at the bench is highly valued.
• Technical Proficiency: Deep expertise in cosmetic laboratory techniques, safety protocols, and standard laboratory instrumentation.
• Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with cosmetic regulatory standards, OTC guidelines, and industry software tools (such as The Good Face Project platform).
• Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills with the ability to work independently on formulation projects while remaining highly collaborative in a fast-paced environment.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively share technical findings with internal teams and stakeholders.

Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person