R&D Manager Hair Color India

R&D Manager Hair Color India

About this Position

The Asia Hair Color R&D team is dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality hair color solutions that enhance consumer confidence and beauty. Guided by our slogan, “Let’s Color the World Together,” we drive product innovation and technical excellence across the region. This role is responsible for leading end-to-end formulation development activities, ensuring that the current and future needs of business units are effectively translated into short-, medium-, and long-term technical programs. The position plays a key role in developing innovative, consumer-focused hair color products that meet performance, quality, and market requirements while supporting business growth objectives.

What you´ll do

• Lead and execute New Product Development (NPD) projects for the Hair Coloration portfolio, ensuring timely delivery, product quality, and successful commercialization, with a primary focus on the Indian market and consumer needs.
• Define technical timelines, conduct risk assessments, align with regional and global R&D teams, and drive cost-efficient product development locally and globally.
• Provide technical support for the Hair Coloration business portfolio, partnering with Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, and Quality teams to address product-related queries, troubleshoot issues, and ensure consistent product performance and customer satisfaction.
• Ensure regulatory compliance by collaborating with regulatory teams on product notifications, registrations, and adherence to local and global regulations and industry standards.
• Support commercial and operational activities through technical claims substantiation, product demonstrations, content development, technical training for Sales, Supply Chain, and export markets, and technical guidance to local contract manufacturers to ensure quality and manufacturing excellence.
• Act as the key R&D liaison for India, serving as the single point of contact between the regional R&D organization and local stakeholders, including Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, and other cross-functional teams, to drive effective communication and business support across the Hair Coloration portfolio.

What makes you a good fit

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biology, or a related scientific discipline is required. A Ph.D. is considered an advantage.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in Research & Development, preferably within the hair color, personal care, cosmetics, consumer goods, or related industries, with hands-on experience in formulation development and product innovation.
• Strong understanding of product development processes, raw materials, regulatory requirements, quality standards, and commercialization activities.
• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in additional languages will be considered an advantage, particularly in supporting regional and global collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional and multicultural teams, collaborating with R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Manufacturing stakeholders.

Some perks of joining Henkel

• Diverse national and international growth opportunities
• Global wellbeing standards with health and preventive care programs
• Gender-neutral parental leave for a minimum of 8 weeks
• Employee Share Plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares
• Best-in-class Group Medical Insurance policy covering employee, spouse and up to 2 children
• Competitive accident and term life policies for up to 3 times annual gross salary
• Progressive OPD policy of INR 30,000 for employee, spouse and up to 2 children

At Henkel, we come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe the uniqueness of all our employees is the power in us. Become part of the team and bring your uniqueness to us! We look for a diverse team of individuals who possess different backgrounds, experiences, personalities and mindsets.