L&R Distributors

Product Development Manager, Formulation - Private Label

L&R Distributors • $115K — $125K *
Encinitas, CA 92024In-Person
Retail & Consumer Goods
8 - 10 years of experience
3 days ago
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or a related field
  • 8+ years of product development experience in beauty, personal care, and/or OTC categories
  • Demonstrated experience with OTC drug products and SPF formulations
  • Strong background working with contract manufacturers
  • Proven ability to manage complex development timelines, testing programs, and budgets
  • Preferred to have experience supporting major retail customers
  • Familiarity with shelf-ready packaging and retail quality expectations

Responsibilities

  • Drive formulation development to meet performance and quality targets
  • Coordinate validation and readiness for commercialization across product lines
  • Manage timelines, costs, and critical paths for development and scale-up
  • Direct lab, pilot, and full-scale production in partnership with contract manufacturers
  • Ensure consistent quality and supply during the transition into manufacturing
  • Act as the primary contact for contract manufacturing partners
  • Drive the end-to-end development of new products across various retail channels

Benefits

  • Hybrid work schedule allows for flexibility between remote and in-office work
  • Opportunity to collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Packaging and Regulatory
  • Exposure to major retail customers and various product categories for career growth
Full Job Description
Key Responsibilities

1) Product Development & Scale-Up
  • Drive formulation development to achieve targeted performance, sensory attributes, appearance, and claims
  • Coordinate validation, and commercialization readiness across product lines
  • Manage timelines, critical paths, and cost considerations for development and scale-up
  • Drive lab, pilot, and full-scale production in partnership with contract manufacturers
  • Ensure smooth transition into manufacturing with consistent quality and supply

2) OTC, SPF & Regulatory
  • Serve as day-to-day driver for OTC and SPF product development, under the guidance of the VP of Product Development
  • Partner with Regulatory to support claims substantiation and ensure compliance with FDA and U.S. regulations
  • Align formulations, testing protocols, and documentation with on-pack claims
  • Coordinate development testing, including stability, compatibility, and performance validation
  • Ensure formulations are compatible with packaging and meet regulatory expectations prior to launch

3) Cross-Functional Supplier Management
  • Act as the primary day-to-day contact across a network of contract manufacturing partners
  • Coordinate formulation development, testing, scale-up, and technology transfer
  • Collaborate with Packaging teams to ensure formula-package compatibility and aligned timelines
  • Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to drive execution
  • Maintain clear documentation and communicate development progress to stakeholders

4) New Product Innovation
  • Drive end-to-end development of new products for a range of retail channels
  • Translate customer briefs into scalable, compliant, and cost-effective formulations
  • Support innovation across mass retail, drug, grocery, specialty, and club channels
  • Balance innovation initiatives alongside ongoing product development priorities


Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or a related field
  • 8+ years of product development experience in beauty, personal care, and/or OTC categories
  • Demonstrated experience with OTC drug products and SPF formulations
  • Strong background working with contract manufacturers
  • Proven ability to manage complex development timelines, testing programs, and budgets
  • Preferred to have experience supporting major retail customers
  • Familiarity with shelf-ready packaging and retail quality expectations
  • Strong cross-functional collaboration with Packaging, Regulatory, and Quality teams
  • Ability to travel as needed to CM locations during production runs, located mostly in the Los Angeles area.


Work Schedule:

Hybrid Schedule - Monday through Friday 8:30AM to 5:00PM with variation based on business demands (Mon & Fri remote, Tues - Thurs in-office)

Pay range: $115,000 to $125,000

About L&R Distributors

L&R Distributors is a leading distributor of consumer products servicing the convenience channel. The company services over 60,000 retail locations across the United States and Canada. L&R Distributors offers a wide range of products including health and beauty aids, general merchandise, grocery, confectionery, and seasonal items. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey.
Learn more about L&R Distributors
Size
2,000 employees
Industry
Business Services
Net Income
$50 million
5 Year Trend
+5%
Revenue
$1 billion
* Ladders Estimates

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