Principal Hair Color Chemist at John Paul Mitchell Systems – Santa Clarita, California

Who We Are

John Paul Mitchell Systems (“JPMS”) is recognized worldwide for developing and marketing innovative hair and skin care products since 1980. We’ve been serving the professional beauty industry with salon-quality hair care products, styling tools and professional hair color through our family of brands including Paul Mitchell, MITCH, Awapuhi Wild Ginger, Tea Tree, Paul Mitchell Tools, Neuro, The Demi, Paul Mitchell the Color, Blonde, and Color XG.

We were the first professional hair care company to take a stand against animal testing and continue our strong commitment to giving back, supporting a wide range of philanthropic causes both domestically and internationally. Sustainability has always been a priority, and we are committed to making our company operations climate neutral to preserve the beauty of the world around us.

Who You Are:

You are a skilled and enthusiastic, high-performing professional who is passionate about hair care and wants to positively contribute to the growth of our iconic brand as well as to our people first culture.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced and innovative Principal Hair Color Chemist to lead the development and optimization of high-performance professional hair color systems. This role requires deep technical expertise in oxidative and non-oxidative color chemistry, strong hands-on laboratory capability, and a clear understanding of salon and consumer expectations within the professional hair color market. The ideal candidate combines scientific rigor with commercial awareness and thrives in a fast-paced, cross-functional collaborative environment.

What You will Do:

• Lead end-to-end development and reformulation of professional hair color systems including permanent color, demi/semi-permanent color, lighteners, and developers
• Own formula architecture from concept through pilot and commercial scale-up
• Design innovative systems aligned with brand positioning, performance benchmarks, cost targets, and global regulatory requirements
• Serve as technical subject matter expert for hair color chemistry and bleaching systems
• Drive raw material evaluation, alternative sourcing, and cost optimization initiatives
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Regulatory, Quality, Packaging, and Operations to ensure successful commercialization
• Support salon validation, claims substantiation, and instrumental performance testing
• Troubleshoot complex formulation and manufacturing challenges
• Maintain rigorous documentation in accordance with GMP and GLP standards
• Monitor competitive landscape, emerging technologies, and ingredient innovations within the professional hair color space
• Contribute to long-term platform development and innovation strategy

Required Qualifications:

Skills:

• Successful development of professional hair color through hands-on formulation
• Deep expertise in oxidative dye systems, semi-permanent dyes, alkalizing agents, bleaching chemistry, developers, and tone control technologies
• Strong knowledge of polymers, conditioning systems, emulsions, rheology modifiers, and surfactants.
• Experience transferring formulas from lab to manufacturing scale
• Strong understanding of global cosmetic regulations (US, EU preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication skills with ability to translate technical data into clear business insights
• Business acumen and understanding of salon professional market dynamics and consumer needs
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field required

Experience:

• 7+ years hands-on laboratory experience developing professional hair color systems

Preferred Qualifications:

Skills:

• Experience in professional salon brands
• Experience supporting global launches
• Exposure to color cosmetics or adjacent beauty categories
• Experience mentoring junior chemists

Education:

• Master’s degree preferred

We are eager to meet people who believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways - not just candidates who check all the boxes. If you think you would be a good fit for the position and our company, we invite you to apply.

Working Conditions

• On-site, full-time (California R&D site) in laboratory environment
• Up to 10% travel for CM visits, salon validation, or innovation support

Competitive Compensation:

• The expected base salary range for this position is $150, 000 to $165,000. The exact base salary is determined by various factors including geographic location, experience, skills, and education.
• Discretionary Bonus Plan: This position is also eligible for participation in the company discretionary bonus plan, based on personal performance and company results.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: In addition to base salary, JPMS offers a competitive benefits package to eligible employees, including medical, dental, vision, life, accident, critical illness, and disability insurance, retirement savings plans and company match, paid family leave, education-related programs, paid holidays, discretionary vacation time, and more.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment.