Location: San Diego, CA (Onsite Full-time required)

 

Summary

The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for managing the operational execution of beauty new product development (NPD) and the associated product manufacturing for our brand clients. This role bridges the gap between brand timeline expectations and internal operational steps that includes ingredient manufacturing, formulation, sample submission, sample reformulation, supply chain for key ingredients and packaging, and communication and timelines with our product manufacturing partners. The Senior Project Manager will ensure timely execution of deliverables from receiving a product brief from a client through to commercial production of the product. The candidate must demonstrate experience in managing projects through all stages of development that are described above with a strong foundation in cosmetic formulation, beauty and personal care product manufacturing processes, and cross-functional coordination between client, operations, formulations and manufacturer.

 

Essential Functions

Project & Manufacturing Execution 

• Create and drive project timelines from receiving a formulation brief through to product manufacturing and delivery through ensuring all tasks, dependencies, and risks are tracked and addressed. 
• Translate customer-facing project scopes into internal action plans aligned with operations, formulation, R&D, and contract manufacturing teams. 
• Coordinate with contract manufacturers to ensure production schedules, technical requirements, and quality expectations are clearly communicated and achieved. 
• Own internal project documentation, including timelines, status reports, BOMs, and scale-up readiness plans. 
• Facilitate production readiness by aligning cross-functional teams on critical path tasks (e.g., materials, lab validations, stability, testing, packaging readiness). 
• Monitor and escalate risks related to lead times, raw materials, equipment capabilities, and production capacity. 

 

Formulation & NPD Coordination 

• Partner closely with R&D/Formulation Scientists to track progress on new formulations and ensure alignment with technical briefs and customer expectations. 
• Facilitate technology transfer from R&D and operations to contract manufacturing, ensuring batch records, compounding instructions, formulation specs, and any other required documentation is in place. 
• Track and coordinate all development milestones including lab sample creation, testing, pilot batches, compatibility testing, and regulatory documentation. 
• Schedule and coordinate lab trials, pre-production trials, and scale-up batches with internal and external teams. 
• Work with regulatory compliance (e.g., INCI documentation, COAs, SDS, claims substantiation) to ensure all documents are in place for client formulations. 
• Collaborate with the Account Manager to manage technical communications with brand partners on development feedback, feasibility, and revisions. 

Cross-Functional & External Partner Collaboration 

• Lead cross-functional team meetings to align formulation, supply chain, production, and quality on project goals and timelines. 
• Communicate proactively with stakeholders about project status, risks, and mitigation strategies. 
• Support inventory coordination and resolution of discrepancies with contract manufacturer during development and initial runs. 

 

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, Chemistry, or a related technical field preferred. 

• 3+ years of experience in project management or operations in beauty personal care or cosmetics. 

• 5+ years experience in formulation, NPD, product development lifecycle in the skincare, haircare, or body space. 

• Experience working directly with or within contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). 

• Understanding of formulation scale-up, stability testing, compatibility testing, and regulatory documentation for personal care products. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously under tight deadlines. 

• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills and ability to translate between technical and operational teams. 

• Proficiency with project management tools including Monday.com 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to synthesize technical information for stakeholders. 
• Willingness to travel to contract manufacturers or internal labs as needed (up to 15%). 
• PMP or CAPM certification is a plus. 
• Hands-on experience with batch processing, formulation trials, or lab-scale R&D in personal care/cosmetics. 
• Familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP) and PLM systems. 
• Knowledge of GMP, ISO 22716, and cosmetic regulatory frameworks. 

 

Essential Physical Characteristics:

• The physical characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
• Continuous upward and downward flexion of the neck.
• Frequent sitting, repetitive use of hands to operate computers, printers and copiers.
• Occasional walking, standing, bending and twisting of neck, bending and twisting of waist, squatting, simple grasping, reaching above and below shoulder level, and lifting and carrying of files weighing up to 15 pounds.
• The performance of this position will present exposure to an industrial environment and requires support and compliance with the published Company PPE policy including but not limited to the use of personal protective equipment as needed.

 

Condition of Employment

As part of Debut’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check prior to beginning employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position.

Debut is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

 

Salary: $95,000 – $115,000

 

*Debut is not outsourcing this role to external recruiting agencies.