[Hiring] Director, Technical Regulatory & Ingredient Science @e.l.f. Beauty

Role Description

As Director, Technical Regulatory & Ingredient Science, you will be the organization's foremost authority on raw material qualification, ingredient-level compliance and technical documentation across e.l.f. brands and global markets. This is a new, high-impact role created to address a clear and growing need as we expand our business globally, supporting the increase in volume and complexity of ingredient questions, documentation requirements and cross-functional technical challenges.

The Director must possess deep technical expertise in ingredient and raw material chemistry, including:

• Polymer/surfactant chemistry
• Mineral/pigment chemistry
• Botanical/natural extract chemistry

You will drive independent ingredient assessment at a molecular level, determining classification and regulatory status, as well as exercising scientific judgment in qualifying materials and interpreting supplier documentation/data.

Responsibilities

• Global Regulatory Compliance
  • Determine and maintain ingredient-level compliance globally, including new and novel ingredient technology.
  • Translate evolving global regulations into actionable guidance for R&D, Innovation and Product Development.
  • Lead ingredient-level Canada CEPA/Section 71 Surveys, CARB surveys, US/UK REACH compliance and monitor for new regulations, particularly during global expansion.
  • Monitor VOC compliance, ensuring formulations meet applicable VOC limits and that ingredient-level VOC data is available and documented for regulatory submissions and inquiries.
  • Oversee IFRA compliance for fragranced products, ensuring fragrance ingredients and concentrations conform to current IFRA Standards and that suppliers provide IFRA certificates and supporting documentation.
  • Guide EWG and Sorette certification, evaluating ingredient profiles, flagging restricted ingredients and ensuring the team maintains supporting documentation.
  • Serve as the technical point of contact to troubleshoot and resolve documentation gaps, regulatory queries and compliance challenges that arise during registration dossier preparation and submission.
• Supplier & Manufacturer Documentation
  • Partner directly with contract manufacturers and raw material suppliers to secure, review and approve raw material and ingredient documentation.
  • Establish and enforce documentation standards and timelines with manufacturers and suppliers to mitigate risk.
  • Ensure the team uses internal IT tools to organize and track raw material documents across the portfolio.
  • Leverage IT tools to run metrics.
  • Drive workflows and opportunities to manage changes to raw material/ingredients to maintain compliance against global standards.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Work cross-functionally with Regulatory, R&D, Innovation, Product Development and Legal to provide raw material and ingredient expertise that keeps pace with global demand.
  • Embed ingredient expertise into every stage of the product lifecycle.
  • Identify ingredient-related challenges early and provide technical solutions that keep projects on track and in compliance.
  • Educate and advise internal stakeholders on ingredient science topics, emerging regulations and compliance considerations.
• Ingredient Science & Technical Assessment
  • Assess the chemical properties and structure-function relationships of ingredients across categories to advise on efficacy, performance and required ingredient testing for specifications, certifications of analysis etc.
  • Support the substantiation of formula safety profiles; with particular focus on ingredient-related claims and marketing claims with technical documentation and scientific rationale.
  • Ensure ingredient-level data is available and organized to respond to retailer, regulator and consumer inquiries.

Qualifications

• MSc in Chemistry or a closely related scientific discipline.
• 10+ years in a technical regulatory, ingredient science, or raw material compliance role within the Cosmetics or Personal Care industry.
• Deep expertise in cosmetic and skincare ingredient chemistry; global cosmetic ingredient regulations.
• Direct experience working with third-party suppliers and contract manufacturers, particularly in the EU and Asia.
• Proven track record of raw material qualification, supplier documentation management and ingredient-level compliance at scale.
• Strong understanding of how to support innovative ingredient and formula advancements.
• Ability to translate complex technical and regulatory information into clear guidance for non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with proven ability to influence and align cross-functional partners.
• Experience supporting a multi-brand portfolio across color cosmetics, haircare, skincare, medical devices, tools and merchandise.
• Experience scaling a raw material documentation database.
• Knowledge of claim substantiation frameworks and experience supporting marketing and regulatory claims.

Requirements

• The base salary range for this role is listed above.
• Total compensation includes base salary, annual company-based performance bonus, and equity.
• Under e.l.f.’s annual bonus program, employees are eligible to earn up to 200% of their target bonus when company performance exceeds defined goals.
• In addition, e.l.f. provides a variety of other benefits to employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a retirement savings plan, gender neutral parental leave, and unlimited paid time off.
• The amount of total compensation (including base salary) offered will be based on a wide range of factors, including geographic location, experience, specific skills, and qualifications.
• Compensation components are subject to change at the company’s discretion.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement savings plan
• Gender neutral parental leave
• Unlimited paid time off