Associate Scientist - Product Development and Innovation

Associate Scientist

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number #173875 - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specialising in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

Brief introduction - Role Summary/Purpose:

Owning the end-to-end planning and implementation of next-generation product development initiatives, you will directly drive sustainable business growth for iconic global brands. In this role, you will blend cutting-edge science with consumer insights to conceptualize, scale, and launch innovative products while championing 100% compliance in product safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Based at our India Global Technology Center (GTC), you will collaborate with cross-functional partners and global teams in Piscataway and other GTCs to turn technological breakthroughs into everyday consumer delights. 

Responsibilities :

• Lead End-to-End Product Innovation: Independently spearhead all product development initiatives—including new product launches, relaunches, and margin improvement programs—from initial conceptualization to ground-level implementation.

• Drive Operational & Scale-Up Excellence: Oversee pilot plant operations, formulation development, consumer test sampling, and technology transfer, ensuring 100% compliance with quality, safety, and EHS guidelines.

• Leverage Data & Design Optimization: Utilize statistical approaches to experimental design (DoE) and data analytics to maximize learning with minimal resources, proactively identifying business opportunities and solving technical challenges.

• Translate Insights into Claims: Partner with consumer insights to translate complex technical attributes into simple, impactful, and consumer-relevant benefits that engage shoppers and elevate brand equity.

• Collaborate Globally & Cross-Functionally: Build strong internal and external networks, partnering closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, and global GTC networks to ensure agile, cost-effective, and rapid speed-to-market.

• Champion Supplier & Process Quality: Lead supplier qualification programs for raw and packaging materials while continuously optimizing existing R&D systems to improve process compliance.

Required  Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field.

• Experience: Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in product development, formulation, or R&D within a laboratory and pilot plant environment.

• Technical Mastery: Proven track record of independently leading product development projects from lab-scale formulation through to manufacturing scale-up and technology transfer.

• Methodology: Demonstrated experience utilizing statistical tools and experimental design (DoE) for formulation and aging studies.

• Compliance: Strong working knowledge of global product safety, quality systems, and regulatory compliance standards.

 

Preferred Qualifications :

• Industry Experience: Prior experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, specifically within Personal Care or Home Care.

• Agility & Continuous Improvement: A proven mindset of agility with the ability to respond quickly to changing consumer demands and a track record of improving existing R&D processes.

• Business Acumen & Partnering: Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with a solid understanding of supply chain and commercial business drivers.

• Communication & Intellectual Property: Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a history of sharing technical knowledge through formal documentation, publications, or patent contributions.

 

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Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

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Experience Level

Mid Level