Research and Development Director

Falcon Unlimited is a subsidiary of Kinetic Brands

About Falcon

Falcon Unlimited is a full-stack nail polish manufacturer, where passion meets purpose in every polish we create.

From R+D, supply chain, manufacturing, to fulfillment—we're not just breaking through the noise, we're spreading our wings to deliver high-quality, first-to-market products that truly take flight. Our relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction fuels our adaptability, enabling us to swiftly navigate challenges with creativity and a can-do attitude. As a result, continuous improvement is ingrained in our culture; we're constantly evolving, seeking efficiencies, enhancing quality, and embracing innovation. Interested in working with us? Come join the flock!

What makes a Falcon soar?

• Embrace our customer obsession mantra: We listen, we respond, we succeed together
• We swiftly adapt to the changing needs of our partners and customers, embracing challenges with creativity and a proactive spirit
• We're relentless in our pursuit of improvement, constantly seeking ways to elevate ourselves, our products, and our organization
• Teamwork: We thrive on open collaboration, trust, and support to tackle challenges and seize opportunities as one unified team
• Innovation isn't just a goal, it's our DNA - we push boundaries, defy limits, and lead the way in creating unparalleled products and experiences

About the Role

We’re looking for an experienced cosmetics professional to spearhead our R+D department and drive forward our mission of bringing the highest quality and most innovative nail products to market. The R+D Director will oversee a team of chemists and be responsible for developing the highest quality nail polish formulations to exceed the expectations of our customers. This is the perfect opportunity for someone who possesses deep expertise in polish formulation and a strong desire to bring groundbreaking products to market to lead development for some of the fastest growing nail polish brands.

You will

• Oversee the process of transforming Marketing’s concepts into scalable formulations
• Drive forward product innovation by being creative and unafraid of suggesting, testing, and executing new ideas
• Partner with our extensive supply chain team to source innovative raw materials to enhance product performance and aesthetics
• Lead our team of experienced chemists to research innovative ways of enhancing product performance and bringing new products to market
• Partner with our Marketing team to create and enhance processes that empower each brand’s creativity and innovation
• Develop and substantiate product claims
• Assist Manufacturing by overseeing the successful scale-up of formulations, troubleshooting any issues that arise, and maintaining compliance with GMP
• Manage a team of chemists and lab technicians to lead, support, and grow our experienced team
• Work with the Regulatory department to ensure compliance of all formulations
• Proactively identify product issues prior to launch and partner with key stakeholders to resolve them
• Oversee our formula quality team to ensure our people and processes result in consistent, high-quality products
• Enhance the product testing process to ensure stability over time and under various conditions
• Generate, maintain, and manage all R&D documentation, including formulas, batch cards, testing records, and our learnings database
• Work with our Finance team to ensure final formulations are within margin targets

You have

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in chemistry, engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in nail polish formulation, product development, quality assurance and/or manufacturing
• 3+ years of experience in managing/growing a team of chemists/lab techs
• Familiarity with domestic and international cosmetics regulations
• Extreme Ownership - You care deeply about the quality of product that is released and feel a strong sense of responsibility for the results of your work. When things go wrong, you own your mistakes and do everything to learn and move forward.
• Passion for Nail Polish - You have opinions on what makes a good formula, an eye for color and a strong desire to make quality polish
• Proactive Problem Solving - You think about what could go wrong, work to address it on your own and flag risks to teams to collaboratively solve problems before they happen
• Critical Thinking - You think about the variables that impact our products and come up with ways to test them. You deeply want to understand the why behind our ingredients to effectively problem solve and enhance product quality
• Strong Communications Skills - You’re an empathetic communicator and have experience interacting cross-functionally to drive results

Work environment + Physical demands

• Required to be onsite at our office in Passaic, New Jersey

Awesome Perks

• Top-notch medical, dental, and vision benefits, so you can kick back without stressing about health stuff! 🌟
• Need a break? Take it! With our unlimited PTO policy 🏖️
• Enjoy 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, plus a 4-week modified return to work program to ease you back into the groove 🍼
• Plan for the future with our 401k offering, complete with a 4% company match to help you build that nest egg! 💰
• Get reimbursed for home office expenses like your phone or internet 🏡
• And hey, don't forget to treat yourself with our sweet employee discount! 🎁

Falcon is an equal opportunity employer — we believe being successful is directly tied to creating a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive environment.