Formulation Chemist - Personal Care and Cosmetics

About Soap Solutions and the Role

Soap Solutions is a family-owned manufacturer specializing in personal care and wash products, located in Sydney. We seek a detail-oriented and proactive Formulation Chemist experienced in cosmetic and personal care formulation. This role is pivotal within our technical department, managing a portfolio of formulation and product development projects while providing essential support for compliance and documentation. You will perform hands-on development tasks alongside day-to-day technical assistance for customers, suppliers, and internal teams. Reporting directly to the Technical Manager and collaborating with the Technical Officer.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead formulation and product development projects from inception through production as part of a team.
• Create, test, and refine new formulations for both new product development and customer-specific projects.
• Produce bench-scale samples supporting new product trials and production quality investigations, including replication of batches to identify issues.
• Assist in troubleshooting formulation and production quality problems as needed.
• Perform ad hoc sample testing when required.
• Handle daily technical inquiries from customers regarding products, ingredients, and compliance.
• Prepare, review, and verify technical documents including product information files, dossiers, and Certificates of Analysis.
• Conduct regulatory compliance research and validation checks as assigned.
• Evaluate ingredient lists and artwork to ensure consistency with approved formulations.
• Monitor and report on formulations, ingredient usage, and bills of materials for quality assurance.
• Liaise with suppliers to obtain raw material and packaging documentation.
• Organize and maintain technical information for customer projects and external audits.
• Maintain comprehensive, accurate technical records and documentation.
• Perform data administration and contribute to customer, compliance, and certification portal workflows.
• Oversee the consolidation and generation of master specification documents for packaging materials used in manufacturing processes, including paper wraps, tubes, pouches, and boxes.

Required Qualifications and Attributes

• Proven experience formulating personal care and cosmetic products in a manufacturing environment.
• Tertiary qualification in chemistry, chemical science, chemical or product engineering, or related STEM field is preferred but not mandatory.
• Exceptional attention to detail critical for ensuring formulation accuracy, compliance, allergen management, and artwork verification.
• Highly organized with disciplined approach to documentation and data administration.
• Confident and effective communicator, able to engage with customers, suppliers, and internal colleagues.
• Capable of managing multiple formulation projects while providing prompt technical support as needed.

Benefits and Opportunities

• Work in a supportive, family-owned company environment.
• Make a meaningful impact contributing to a growing personal care manufacturing business.
• Gain hands-on experience across formulation chemistry, regulatory compliance, manufacturing operations, and quality assurance.
• Access pathways for professional growth and career advancement within the company.