Fragrance Development Manager

Do you have hands‑on experience evaluating fragrances within FMCG, personal care, home care, cosmetics or a fragrance house? Have you managed complex innovation or product‑development projects across multiple technical and commercial teams? Can you work from Hull at least three days each week and start by early September? Could this be the right role for you?

This 12-month fixed‑term contract will suit a fragrance professional who combines credible evaluation experience with strong innovation project‑management skills. You will manage several upstream innovation projects across air care, laundry and surface‑care categories. These projects sit outside the day‑to‑day product pipeline and require clear planning around timings, costings, technical feasibility and eventual integration into the wider development programme.

You will thrive in a fast‑paced, complex matrix organisation, take ownership of delivery and remain comfortable with pace, ambiguity and accountability.

The opportunity

You will work across a global consumer‑products business, coordinating internal R&D teams, commercial stakeholders and external fragrance‑house partners. The wider fragrance team will provide olfactive support, but you must already understand fragrance evaluation and development. You do not need to be a trained perfumer, but you must be able to contribute credibly to fragrance assessment, development discussions and technical recommendations. The role reports to a manager who is not permanently based in Hull, so you will need to work independently while maintaining strong communication across multiple stakeholders. A three‑to‑four‑week handover is planned, with the preferred start date being late August or early September.

What you will be doing

• Managing multiple upstream fragrance and technology innovation projects
• Building project plans covering timings, milestones, costs, risks and dependencies
• Coordinating activity across fragrance, R&D, marketing, regulatory, safety, quality, supply chain and consumer‑insight teams
• Working closely with fragrance‑house suppliers and other external development partners
• Supporting fragrance evaluation and olfactive performance reviews
• Developing and refining briefs for fragrance and technical partners
• Coordinating sensory, consumer, stability and product‑performance testing
• Ensuring projects meet relevant safety, regulatory and sustainability requirements
• Preparing presentations, project reviews, recommendations and technical documentation
• Maintaining momentum across complex international workstreams
• Influencing stakeholders without relying on formal authority

What you will need

• Practical fragrance‑evaluation experience within FMCG, personal care, home care, cosmetics, laundry, air care or a fragrance house
• Experience supporting fragrance development or innovation projects
• A bachelor’s degree in science, psychology, fragrance, flavour or another relevant discipline
• Strong project‑management skills across timelines, risks, stakeholders and suppliers
• Experience working in a cross‑functional or matrix organisation
• The ability to understand technical information and translate it into clear actions
• Strong communication, influencing and presentation skills
• The ability to work independently and manage several projects simultaneously
• The right to work in the UK without sponsorship

Desirable experience

• Air care, laundry or surface‑care products
• Working with major fragrance houses
• Product stability and olfactive performance assessment
• Sensory or consumer testing
• Experience across global or multi‑category innovation projects

Why consider this role?

You will gain exposure to high‑profile global innovation projects across several fragrance‑led categories, with the autonomy to shape delivery while working alongside experienced technical and fragrance specialists.