Are you looking to apply your formulation and lab skills to help bring innovative, high-quality products to life in a fast-paced R&D environment?
AG Care is a growing Canadian brand that makes products that work, creates foundations for healthy hair and skin and gives back. And we have an exciting opportunity for a Product Development Specialist to join our growing team!
The opportunity for you…
The Research & Development team plays a key role in bringing AG Care’s innovation to life. From early concept development to commercialization, R&D ensures our products meet the highest standards of performance, safety, and compliance.
This position is hands-on and execution-focused. A typical day includes formulating prototypes, troubleshooting technical challenges, optimizing existing products, and collaborating across departments to support product launches and improvements. You’ll work closely with Operations, Quality, and Marketing to ensure every formula not only performs beautifully but also meets all internal and external standards.
Attention to detail, curiosity, adaptability, and a proactive mindset are key. You’re a problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment—and you keep the lab as organized as your thoughts.
You’ll be responsible for…
- Support R&D product development initiatives. Perform R&D experiments and prepare formulations. Help develop new products, optimize and improve processes and/or formulations for current products.
- Help create and prepare R&D formulas, ingredient lists and manufacturing processes and verify regulatory, retailer and AG Care compliance before the R&D processes are transferred for scale up and commercial manufacturing.
- Prepare Bill of Materials (BOM), Commercial Formula (CF) documents and batching and production SOPs in collaboration with Quality.
- Review ingredients lists for product labels on Asana software in collaboration with Quality.
- Help troubleshoot, research and provide technical input on formulation and process issues with current commercial products and products in development.
- Provide assistance to Operations, CX, Marketing and Quality to address consumer complaints, manufacturing deviations and investigations and testing issues or failures.
- Obtain supplier information for raw materials, ingredients and containers and closures. Check information for compliance with regulations, retailer requirements, AG requirements/standards and other applicable requirements. Notify supervisor and Quality of potential issues and non-compliance. Input information on Good Face and/or UniPoint software, as applicable.
- Ensure raw material and formula information is current and maintained in Good Face and UniPoint software systems. Become proficient in the software systems to conduct the regulatory and retailer compliance checks for raw materials in current commercial products and new products in development.
- Identify opportunities for improving current processes, formulations, products, test methods and equipment. Collaborate and provide technical and quality advice to Operations and cross-functional teams to implement the improvements.
- Support Head of Product Development to identify and research new product ideas and technologies.
- Conduct testing for current commercial products and new products in development.
- Maintain the R&D lab to ensure lab activities and chemicals meet safety requirements and are maintained in a state ready for use. This includes but is not limited to ensuring that equipment/instruments are maintained in working condition (calibration/qualification/verification if required is performed and current), lab supplies and raw materials are available and ordered if required, lab samples and chemicals are appropriately labeled and properly stored, lab is clean and orderly.
- Maintain R&D records. Prepare R&D reports.
- Support Quality team as assigned, including but not limited to document and label review, incoming material inspections, troubleshooting manufacturing or testing issues/failures for commercial products, sampling and sending samples for analysis.
- Supporting Quality with development, maintenance and updates of company policies and procedures in support of GMP and other applicable regulations and requirements.
- Check raw materials and product ingredient lists for compliance with retailer, regulatory and AG Care requirements.
- File regulatory submissions within the required timeframe e.g. Health Canada new cosmetic notifications, FDA MoCRA product filings, California Cosmetic and Prop 65.
-
Assist with product performance studies as assigned.
What you offer…
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemistry, Biology, Cosmetic Science or related scientific field
- Minimum 3-5 years of hands-on R&D formulation development experience with emulsions
- Experience working in GMP manufacturing facility
- Demonstrated ability to write SOPs and reports, computer literate
- Good communication & organizational skills, attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to manage multiple activities and projects and meet timelines
-
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross functional teams
Working at AG...
Creating products that make a difference is no easy task, but at AG our people are hard-wired to do just that. Their passion, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit make it possible to produce, market and sell exceptional hair and body products every day. Every role is integral to the success of the company and every employee has the opportunity to see the impact their contribution makes.
The results speak for themselves. Named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for six years in a row by Deloitte, AG’s culture is rooted in its values of collaboration, life-balance, diversity and respect.
Our Story…
Advanced Goodness since 1989, we combine science and nature, selecting the highest quality ingredients to develop formulas that deliver purposeful results. Driven by care, the entire collection is free from drying sulfates, vegan and cruelty-free.
Our products are thoughtfully crafted and bottled at the source. Each stage of development occurs onsite at our FDA and Health Canada approved state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in beautiful Vancouver, BC.
Giving back is the reward for our success and we are committed to making a difference on a local and global level. Each year, we donate product, food and financial support to organizations across our community. Since 2008, we have partnered with One Girl Can helping girls in Kenya harness their power to create gender parity and meaningful change (www.onegirlcan.com).
To Apply…
Please e-mail your resume, cover letter, and salary expectations to employment@ag.care and quote Product Development Specialist in the subject line. Due to the large volume of applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted to participate further in the recruitment process.
AG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Every Role is integral to the success of the Company, and we believe in building a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace for all individuals. Requests for accommodation due to a disability can be made at any stage of the recruitment process.
Hesitant to apply? Even if you do not believe that you meet 100% of the required skills or experiences but believe this role is right for you, we would still like to hear from you.