About Aveda
Founded in 1978 by Horst Rechelbacher, Aveda is a pioneering prestige beauty brand rooted in the principles of Ayurveda, botanical science, and environmental responsibility. As an employer, Aveda offers professionals the opportunity to contribute to a purpose-led house known for high-performance hair, skin, and body care, responsible sourcing, cruelty-free innovation, and a longstanding commitment to sustainability. The brand values artistry, education, wellness, and community, fostering a culture where salon experts, retail teams, scientists, and corporate talents can grow while advancing beauty that respects people and the planet.
Aveda seeks an Associate Director, Hair, Bath and Body Formulation, to lead product development from concept through commercialization, guide scientific teams, and drive formulation innovation and scale-up. The position is full-time and offers an anticipated annual base salary of $93,000–$120,000, depending on experience, skills, education, budget, and geographic location; it is also eligible for a competitive bonus program and share incentive plan.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead development of new products and enhancements to existing products across projects of varying complexity.
- Oversee project timelines, formulation data integrity, and cross-functional alignment with Research & Innovation and business partners to achieve key milestones.
- Ensure formulation development activities are completed on schedule and support successful scale-up, production, and ongoing product maintenance.
- Train, coach, and supervise scientific professionals; direct work across teams as needed.
- Apply scientific expertise and creativity to develop innovative products, concepts, technologies, and raw materials that support future business growth.
- Build organizational capability by coaching, mentoring, and developing scientists and laboratory technicians.
- Lead product development from concept through commercialization and provide ongoing formulation support.
- Apply scientific expertise and data-driven judgment to identify non-obvious connections across projects and technologies and anticipate technical risks.
- Set team priorities, direct work, and ensure appropriate resources are available to meet business needs, project timelines, and development calendars.
- Collaborate with external partners, including raw material suppliers, consultants, and independent testing laboratories, to advance product-development ideas and execute project responsibilities.
- Conduct performance reviews and career-development discussions with team members.
- Lead cross-functional teams in planning and executing special projects.
- Maintain strong working relationships across Research & Innovation, Quality Assurance, Technical Services, Manufacturing, and other teams.
- Align team activities and communicate project progress, risks, and setbacks to Research & Innovation management.
- Serve as a technical and organizational resource for colleagues at all levels.
- Maintain proficiency in established procedures and comply with data integrity policies and initiatives.
- Partner with the process laboratory to align formulation and process requirements, support successful scale-up, and coordinate timing based on resource and material availability.
- Use Research & Innovation formula-management systems and other required corporate applications effectively and accurately.
- Analyze consumer insights to identify emerging trends and technologies; collaborate with external vendors to create novel ingredients, differentiated technologies, compelling marketing stories, and unique product performance.
- Support existing products by investigating and resolving Quality Assurance and production issues.
- Design and execute studies, analyze results, and recommend next steps that balance speed, scientific rigor, and robust delivery of project objectives.
- Coach team members on best practices and effective approaches to technical problem-solving.
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders, including Marketing, Creative, Research & Innovation, Claims, Innovation, and other site teams, to align priorities and deliver project objectives.
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.
Qualifications
- BA or BS in a scientific field.
- 10 years of experience.
- Demonstrated leadership and organizational skills.
- Experience in personal care formulation.
- Working knowledge of laboratory equipment and safety practices.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, research systems, SOP training and development, quality compliance requirements, and GMP/GLP protocols.
Skills
Experience
10 years of experience
Education
BA or BS in a scientific field
Workplace
The role is situated in Blaine, Minnesota, USA — conveniently close to Minneapolis.
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Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 93,000 to USD 120,000 per annum.
Benefits
Eligible employees may receive medical, dental, and vision insurance; wellness and family support programs; life and disability insurance; retirement savings plans; paid leave programs; education-related programs; paid holidays and vacation time. The role is also eligible for a competitive bonus program and participation in the share incentive plan.
Culture
Aveda fosters a purpose-driven workplace rooted in environmental responsibility, holistic well-being, and the art of plant-based beauty. As an employer, it encourages creativity, education, and collaboration, empowering teams to deliver high-touch service while advancing the brand’s mission of care for people and the planet.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Aveda, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Associate Director of Formulation», «Associate Director, Product Development», «Associate Director, Personal Care Formulation», «Associate Director, Formulation Science», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.