ob Description: R&D Head – Laboratory Division (Essential Oils & Chemicals)
Position: Head of Research & Development (R&D) – Lab Division
Industry: Essential Oils, Natural Extracts, Aroma Chemicals, and Fragrances
Experience: 10+ years of hands-on and managerial experience in analytical chemistry and R&D
Location: Mumbai, India (or as applicable)
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director
## Job Purpose
We are seeking a highly experienced and vision-driven R&D Head (Lab Division) to lead our analytical testing, product development, and quality control operations. In this role, you will lead our state-of-the-art laboratory, focusing on the chemical characterization, purity analysis, and formulation of essential oils, absolute oils, and aroma chemicals.
You will act as the technical backbone of the company—ensuring that all incoming raw materials, in-process batches, and finished export orders meet stringent international standards through precise GC/GC-MS profiling, physical-chemical testing, and regulatory compliance.
## Key Responsibilities1. Analytical Excellence & GC-MS Leadership
- Chromatography Oversight: Direct the operation, calibration, and troubleshooting of analytical instruments, primarily Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
- Fingerprinting & Profiling: Develop, validate, and maintain a robust library of chemical profiles (chromatograms) for essential oils, carrier oils, and natural isolates to identify active constituents, adulteration, or synthetic diluents.
- Method Development: Design and validate new analytical testing methods to isolate and identify complex chemical compounds in natural raw materials.
2. Raw Material Authentication & Quality Assurance
- Purity & Adulteration Testing: Oversee the strict quality control (QC) of incoming raw botanicals, essential oils, and aromatic inputs to ensure absolute purity and consistency.
- Physico-Chemical Analysis: Supervise routine physical-chemical testing, including:
- Specific Gravity & Refractive Index
- Optical Rotation
- Acid Value, Ester Value, and Peroxide Value
- Batch Certification: Personally review and sign off on Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and technical data sheets (TDS) for domestic and international shipments.
3. Product Development & Innovation
- Formulation & Standardisation: Lead the R&D team in developing custom blends, standardized natural fractions, and value-added essential oil formulations.
- Stability Studies: Standardize and execute shelf-life and stability testing protocols for finished formulations across varying environmental conditions.
- Sourcing Collaboration: Work closely with the procurement and agronomy/sourcing teams to evaluate the chemical yield and quality of new botanical crops and suppliers.
4. Regulatory, Export, & Compliance Management
- Global Compliance: Ensure all lab practices and product data comply with global fragrance and chemical standards, including IFRA (International Fragrance Association), REACH, ISO, and global pharmacopeia standards.
- Export Documentation: Generate and maintain crucial safety and compliance documents, including Safety Data Sheets (SDS / MSDS under GHS standards) and Allergen Declarations required for global customs and export clearance.
- Lab Accreditation: Maintain and elevate laboratory standards toward national/international accreditations (e.g., NABL / ISO 17025).
5. Leadership & Laboratory Management
- Team Mentorship: Lead, train, and manage a team of analytical chemists, lab technicians, and QC executives.
- Lab Capex & Budgeting: Manage the lab budget, including the procurement of high-purity chemical standards, reagents, consumable columns, and capital equipment upgrades.
## Required Qualifications & Skills
- Education: Ph.D. or Master’s degree (M.Sc. / M.Tech) in Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, or Chemical Technology.
- Experience:
- 10+ years of progressive experience in an analytical laboratory, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role specifically within the Essential Oils, Flavors & Fragrances (F&F), or Aroma Chemical industry.
- Technical Expertise:
- Expert-level knowledge of GC-MS data interpretation, peak integration, and chemical compound identification (natural vs. synthetic).
- Deep understanding of the chemical families present in natural volatile oils (terpenes, sesquiterpenes, phenols, aldehydes, etc.).
- Soft Skills: High attention to detail, strong leadership, and the ability to articulate complex chemical data to non-technical stakeholders (e.g., sales, clients, and executive leadership).
Pay: ₹50,000.00 - ₹100,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
