Development Chemist in Bedford

Are you a personal care formulator with 2-5 years+ post graduate experience? Do you like working in a small, collaborative technical team? Is liaising with 3rd parties, suppliers and manufacturers one of your strengths? Perhaps this Development Chemist role is the next opportunity for you? Working with brands and manufacturers, our very well established client is responsible for the design and development of beauty products and is seeking an experienced formulator with confident communication skills to join their team on a 12 month fixed term basis to cover Maternity leave. This is an urgent hire. What you will do: * Develop innovative formulations in response to client briefs and performance criteria. * Reformulate existing products to meet updated regulations, enhance efficacy, and optimise cost. * Liaise with contract manufacturers and suppliers to ensure product quality, timelines, and compliance. * Partner with fragrance houses to create bespoke fragrances and manage regulatory documentation. * Coordinate and remotely manage product testing programmes, including user trials and clinical studies. * Oversee and review product artwork for technical and regulatory accuracy. * Collaborate with production to resolve scale-up and process challenges, ensuring batch consistency. * Mentor junior chemists and technicians, fostering skill development and technical growth. * Contribute to cross-functional project teams, aligning product development with overall business goals. What you will need: * Proven experience in formulation development, particularly in bath & body and skincare. * Strong technical understanding of raw materials, with experience sourcing from Far East and European suppliers (desirable). * Analytical and creative problem solving skills for formulation and process troubleshooting. * Solid project management experience and familiarity with the NPD process. * Excellent communication, organisation, and planning abilities