Position Title: Principal Scientist, Cognitive
Sensory Sciences, L'Oreal Research & Innovation
Location: Clark, New Jersey (Hybrid)
Department: Evaluation Intelligence
Are you obsessed
about human senses, emotions, and cognitive understanding? Are you curious about the science behind the
product and the impact on the consumer's senses and emotions? Are you a creative, inspiring, and inspired
scientist able to lead development and engage talented people in this
forward-thinking blended space of Sensoriality and Cognitive Science?
If you are, then
this is the role to awaken your senses and spark your emotions! We are seeking a future-focused,
forward-thinking, innovative technical leader obsessed with sensory and
cognitive understanding who can take our Evaluation Intelligence: Cognitive
Sensory Science teams to the next level!
For more than one
hundred years, L'Oreal believes that beauty needs Science. In a world now
transformed by digital technology and the emergence of new scientific domains,
we are confident in our ability to turn these opportunities into major
innovations, closely linked to the new consumer expectations all over the
world. Science & Technology are allowing us to invent safe, trustable,
sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change
people's lives.
L'Oreal Research
& Innovation (R&I) has continuously invested upstream in its research
with a high level of ambition. Our 4,100 L'Oreal R&I people are talented
and highly skilled, located in major markets, working in a cooperative way,
open to the world. L'Oreal, Research & Innovation is a vast,
multidisciplinary, scientific community working in more than 30 specialized
fields, spread out across the world in 21 research centers across 6 regional
hubs, 14 evaluation centers, and 49 scientific and regulatory departments. Our
employees represent over 60 nationalities and are united for one passion: to
invent and perfect innovative, high-performance products for the well-being of
all across the world.
L'Oreal USA is currently seeking a
talented and innovative Principal Scientist to join our Cognitive Sensory
Sciences department located at our Clark, NJ facility. This position is responsible for
technical leadership within our North America Sensory and Cognitive Science
Center of Excellence at L'Oreal via technical investigation, facility and
platform building, and mentorship of our team with strong sensory knowledge for
all US L'Oreal categories (skincare, hair care, hair color, and makeup).
This
role will lead critical, foundational studies and collaborate within the
Cognitive Sensory leadership to strategize and drive the team to further
expertise in sensory- and cognitive-enhancing technologies for the development
of early-stage holistic consumer and product performance understanding. This role also will serve as internally and
externally facing technical expert and liaison, partnering across departments
within L'Oreal USA Research & Innovation and beyond to build knowledge,
contribute to the State of the Art and Industry, represent L'Oreal technical
interests, and support Cognitive Science related projects and initiatives.
This
role will report to Head of Cognitive Sensory Sciences within the North America
Evaluation Intelligence team and will be a key member of the local and global
Cognitive Sensory leadership and Evaluation Intelligence leadership teams. Additionally, this role will partner with
Cognitive Science business directors and US Head of Science to strategize and
implement the overall roadmap and objectives for North America Sensory and
Cognitive Science organization.
As a Principal Scientist in our Sensory Cognitive
Sciences team, your main responsibilities are:
- Provide technical leadership and stewardship for our group of sensory scientists, cognitive scientists, and professional expert cosmetologists (24+) within the Evaluation Intelligence organization and be accountable of their technical development and performance in sensory/cognitive science, data, digital, and tech. Keep building an organization that is efficient with strong talent recruitment and retention by promoting teamwork, collaboration, and an inclusive work culture.
- Pioneer new sensory-enhancing technologies to better understand our evolving/diversifying consumer and their products perception/performance leveraging proof of concepts and implementation of tools such as augmented/virtual reality, behavioral science, AI, and human computer interaction, etc.
- Lead efforts to drive diversity and inclusivity in all methodologies and studies ensuring we meet the needs of all consumers in their immense diversity.
- Accountable for developing best-in-class Cognitive Science evaluation platforms, including those enhanced/enabled by augmented digital/virtual tools, to answer product development questions by delivering results that will help to enhance concepts, technologies, and formulas.
- Remain current and professionally connected regarding industry-specific topics, issues, and opportunities, especially novel cognitive sensory evaluation techniques.
- Maintain external relationships to identify potential collaborators for the explorations of the new methodologies.
- Implement and evolve Cognitive Sensory program strategies to contribute to intellectual property activities, transform learnings into internal best practices and deliver those learnings to L'Oreal global network.
- Owns with the team the communication of key and strategic project sensory/cognitive results to drive business decision/direction.
- Lead Cognitive Science deep-dive understanding of our current top products, competitors, and new innovations.
- Represent Cognitive Science and Evaluation Intelligence as recognized expert leader within the L'Oreal USA Scientific Expertise Community, providing mentorship, technical coaching, and leading technology building within L'Oreal Research & Innovation.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with global counterparts to reach objectives; integrate the international scope of sensory/cognitive evaluations by striking a balance between best practices standardization and local country requirements
To Succeed in this Position, You Have:
- A completed Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, Cognitive/Experimental Psychology, Human Factors, or related field is required
- 10+ years of Cognitive Science research related to/integrated with Sensory, Consumer, and/or Product Research and Development in a strategic function is required, including methodologies related to Behavioral Patterns, Subjective and Implicit Responses, and Physiological Activity.
- Experience within a relevant Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry is preferred.
- Experience leveraging
- Experience in technical leadership with demonstrated success in developing technical platforms, partnerships, and building high-performing technical teams is required
- Excellent people and soft skills with passion for collaboration and team building across a multidisciplinary team.
- Excellent technical writing skills, including authorship of abstracts and full technical articles, posters, journal submissions, and professional presentations.
- Experience working as an individual contributor, mentor, and technical coach international, multicultural environment, with ability to think and act globally.
- Able to deliver clear insights through analyzing multiple/complex data sets with experience in social media analytics, user experience, design thinking, visual and motion communication.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (written/oral) organizational skills with strong diplomacy and influencing skills.
- Strong communication and analytical skills a must with the ability to engage and energize across multidisciplinary audiences.
- Knowledge of historical, core current, and emerging Cognitive Science principles, methodologies, tools, and equipment, with experience abiding by ethical guidelines in the development and administration of protocols as well as collection, storage, general management, and overall usage of generated data.
- Knowledge and passion in beauty, cosmetics, devices, and digital technology an advantage.
- Must be proficient in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and statistical analytical tools/software.
- Authorization to work in the United States on a full-time, permanent, ongoing basis without the need for legal sponsorship now or in the future (required)
What's In It For You:
- Corporate Short Term Incentives (Corporate Profit Sharing Bonus, Individual Performance Bonus)
- Competitive Benefit Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
- Hybrid Work Policy (Up to 2 Days per week Work from Home)
- Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)
- Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L'Oreal's Internal Shop for Discounted Products)
- Learning & Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)
- Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
- Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs
Don't meet every single requirement? At
L'Oreal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative
workplace. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't
align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we
encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or
other roles!
We are an Equal
Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We do not
discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment
practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or
disability, or any other legally protected status.
If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application for a recognized disability under applicable law, please email .
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completing the application as a request for accommodation for a disability. All
others will not be considered.