Research & Development Manager, Product Lifecycle

Who We Are

John Paul Mitchell Systems (“JPMS”) is recognized worldwide for developing and marketing innovative hair and skin care products since 1980. We’ve been serving the professional beauty industry with salon-quality hair care products, styling tools and professional hair color through our family of brands including Paul Mitchell, MITCH, Awapuhi Wild Ginger, Tea Tree, Paul Mitchell Tools, Neuro, The Demi, Paul Mitchell the Color, Blonde, and Color XG.

We were the first professional hair care company to take a stand against animal testing and continue our strong commitment to giving back, supporting a wide range of philanthropic causes both domestically and internationally. Sustainability has always been a priority, and we are committed to making our company operations climate neutral to preserve the beauty of the world around us.

Who You Are: 

You are a skilled and enthusiastic, high-performing professional who is passionate about hair care and wants to positively contribute to the growth of our iconic brand as well as to our people first culture.

About the Role 

We are seeking an R&D Manager, Product Lifecycle, to lead the management and optimization of the existing product portfolio. This role is responsible for driving reformulation initiatives, cost optimization, compliance updates, and ensuring consistent product performance across all current line items. The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on reformulation expertise combined with a strong strategic mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities to improve product performance, cost structure, and claims within an existing portfolio. This role requires strong cross-functional leadership and the ability to translate technical decisions into business impact. 

This role is fully on-site at our R&D site in Santa Clarita, CA. It requires up to 10 % travel for Commercial Manufacturer visits, validation, or lifecycle support. 

What You will Do:

• Lead the execution of reformulation initiatives across the existing product portfolio
• Identify and drive opportunities for cost optimization (COGS), performance improvement, and product upgrades 
• Manage lifecycle pipeline prioritization, ensuring alignment with business, regulatory, and operational needs 
• Ensure product performance, quality, and consistency across batches, markets, and manufacturing sites 
• Ensure all reformulations maintain or improve product claims and consumer-relevant performance 
• Proactively identify opportunities for new claims, performance enhancements, and portfolio upgrades 
• Lead compliance-driven formula changes and regulatory updates across global markets 
• Partner closely with Procurement, Regulatory, Quality, Packaging, and Operations to deliver changes effectively 
• Oversee technically packaging updates and compatibility to ensure product integrity 
• Support SKU rationalization and portfolio optimization decisions 
• Lead and develop chemists and lab techs, building strong reformulation and technical capability within the team 
• AI-driven insights and modern innovation approaches to accelerate development and decision-making 

Compensation details: 150000-160000 Yearly Salary

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