Research Scientist - Product Development

ABOUT GCPL :Godrej Consumer Products Limited is the largest home-grown home and personal care company in India. We are constantly innovating to delight our consumers with more exciting, superior quality products at affordable prices.We have bold ambitions and are becoming more agile and future-ready. We rank number 1 in hair colour, household insecticides and liquid detergents and number 2 in soaps. In India, you grow up with our brands - Good knight, Cinthol, Godrej Expert, Godrej No. 1 - and we are now on our way to becoming an emerging markets FMCG leader.In line with our 3X3 approach to international expansion, we are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal wash, hair care). In 2010, we acquired the Indonesia-based Megasari group, a leader in household insecticides, air fresheners and baby care. With the acquisition of Rapidol and Kinky in South Africa, and the Darling Group, a leading pan-Africa hair care company, we have a strong presence in the fast growing African hair care market. We acquired the Issue and Argencos groups in Argentina, leaders in hair colour, in 2010, and expanded our footprint to Chile through the acquisition of a 60% stake in Cosmetica Nacional. The UK-based Keyline Brands, which we acquired in 2005, plays in hair and personal care. We also have a business in the Middle East and a strong presence across SAARC countries.To find out more about GCPL, explore www.godrejcp.com YOUR ROLE SUMMARY :You are expected to contribute actively towards development of products and technologies in Hair/Skin/Household Insecticide/ Air Care categories. The aim is to enhance GCPLs scientific knowledge base which will help us in creating strong product differentiators in market place.YOUR ROLE SPECIFICATIONS :- Thorough understanding on pre-formulations, pro typing and product development of various dosage forms. The candidate should have strong technical and hands on experience in at least couple of above mentioned categories. - Develop and work on relevant projects with academia to build and develop science base within GCPL, and also exploit learning's to our commercial advantage- Participate in pilot plant and plant level scale up activity- Document the product development pathway by means of suitable reports and dossiers- Interact and coordinate with different functions for various activities- Conduct wet and instrumental analysis of relevant product categories.- Utilize measurement techniques to characterize and predict product behavior over time- Understand and follow protocols/test methods used to measure functional and aesthetic performance- Analyze and evaluate competition productsINTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS :The role requires regular interaction with Innovation/Design Team as well as Marketing functions. The candidate will report to the Product Category Head and shall interact with the Head Personal Care Research to build relevant programmes by interfacing with academia.The candidate is expected to interact with academia/higher institutes of learning in establishing and working on projects which are category relevant.QUALIFICATION :- M Pharm in Pharm Chemistry / Pharmaceutics, MSc Organic Chemistry / Pharmaceutical Chemistry, M.Tech chemical engineering- 7-10 years- experience in the field of formulation development preferably in the field of hair, Skin/House Hold Insecticides / air care will be preferableCHALLENGES IN THIS ROLE: The basic challenge will be to demonstrate strong innovative capability within the category. The candidate is expected to build a vibrant NPD pipeline of projects within R&D on the basis of existing consumer insights/category challenges. The candidate must be a self-starter, and, must display a strong inclination and passion to develop a host of innovative projects which shall feed the NPD pipeline.Candidate must be able to quickly spot product opportunities based on consumer insighting/domain knowledge and define a quick road map for rapid product developmentSKILLS REQUIRED :- Strong Interpersonal skills- Strong communication and presentation skills- An understanding on regulations governing cosmetics - Analytical abilities coupled with an understanding of and ability to use statistical tools- Must possess a sound understanding of product formulations, consumer expectations/insights, as well as, gaps in delivery of existing formats. Some level of consumer interaction to understand consumer needs- An appetite for learning, open mind for innovation, questioning status quo, ability to think out of the box- Ability to work in a team- Ability to demonstrate the practical use of knowledge base in Innovation Projects