About Estée Lauder Companies
The Estée Lauder Companies is a global leader in prestige beauty, founded in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder and built on an enduring belief in creativity, high-touch service, and entrepreneurial spirit. As an employer, the Group offers talent the scale of an international house with the energy of distinctive brands across skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care. Its culture values innovation, inclusion, learning, and responsible growth, inviting professionals to shape consumer experiences from laboratory to counter, digital platform to boardroom. Employees join a purpose-led organization where heritage, artistry, and scientific excellence meet to define the future of luxury beauty.
The Principal Scientist, Claims and Substantiation serves as a critical liaison between Research & Development and Brand Marketing, translating consumer concepts and marketing objectives into scientifically credible and actionable substantiation strategies. This role manages and executes clinical projects related to skincare product claims, developing comprehensive scientific evidence to support efficacy and safety assertions while ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and brand positioning.
Role & Responsibilities
- Design and execute comprehensive substantiation strategies for product claims, particularly clinical efficacy and tolerance within the skincare category
- Develop scientific substantiation plans that translate upstream innovation and ingredient mechanisms of action into actionable clinical strategies
- Analyze internal and external in vitro, ex vivo, and clinical data alongside scientific literature to validate product benefits and establish consumer relevance of claims
- Partner with Clinical Testing, Clinical Translation, and Consumer Sciences teams to develop innovative protocols for claim substantiation and ensure robust data generation
- Translate complex scientific findings into clear, compelling product narratives for Marketing and Product Development audiences
- Prepare claims dossiers, technical data summaries, and presentations for internal stakeholder review
- Collaborate across all R&D functions and with Product Development, Marketing, Consumer Insights, and Legal teams to drive innovation and ensure claim validity
- Serve as scientific advisor during new product development, guiding feasible and differentiated claims during early formulation stages
- Ensure all claims align with global regulatory requirements and maintain awareness of emerging scientific and consumer trends in skincare substantiation
Qualifications
- PhD in relevant sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Engineering) or PharmD degree
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience in dermatology, skincare, or personal care industry with demonstrated expertise in claims support, clinical testing, or relevant research
- Proven track record translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences
- Working knowledge of skincare-related clinical methodologies including bio-instrumentation, clinical grading, clinical imaging, and image analysis
- Demonstrated experience in clinical method development
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with ability to synthesize technical data into engaging narratives
- Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and work effectively across functional teams within R&D and with commercial partners
Skills
Experience
5+ years of professional experience in the dermatology, skincare, or personal care industry, with direct involvement in claims support, clinical testing, or research. PhD candidates should possess a minimum of 5 years post-doctoral or industry experience; candidates with Bachelor's degree require 10+ years of industry experience. Demonstrated success managing clinical projects and translating scientific findings into marketing-ready narratives.
Education
PhD degree in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related scientific discipline, or Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). Candidates with Bachelor's degrees may be considered with substantially more industry experience.
Workplace
This position is based in Melville, New York, USA, within easy reach of New York.
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Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 110,000 to USD 125,000 per annum.
Benefits
Health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, competitive incentive compensation programs including commission and bonus eligibility based on role and plan guidelines
Culture
The Estée Lauder Companies fosters a collaborative, inclusive workplace where creativity, entrepreneurial thinking, and a passion for prestige beauty are deeply valued. As a global house of distinctive brands, it offers employees an environment that encourages innovation, professional growth, and a shared commitment to excellence and consumer inspiration.
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 Estée Lauder Companies, 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 «Senior Research Scientist», «Clinical Substantiation Scientist», «Claims Development Specialist», «Research Affairs Manager», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.