Senior Scientist I, Consumer Data Intelligence, L'Oreal Research & Innovation

Senior Scientist I, Consumer Data Intelligence, L'Oreal Research & Innovation - Clark, New Jersey

Life is too short for a boring career, so build an extraordinary one with us. We believe your career should spark the same thrill and curiosity as your personal interests. Creativity drives everything we do, turning ideas into meaningful impact. With opportunities across brands, markets, and divisions, your growth knows no boundaries.

Who We Are

Join us at L'Oreal, the world's #1 beauty company present in over 150 markets. For over a century, we have been transforming; fueled by data, tech, innovation, and science. Together, we tackle big challenges while making sure we stay committed to making the world a more inclusive and a better place for everyone & our planet.

At L'Oreal Research & Innovation we are pushing the boundaries of Science & Tech. We invest heavily in cutting-edge research, leveraging advanced technologies to understand skin, hair, and microbiome, while discovering new active ingredients and launching outperforming formulas. Our 3,500 L'Oreal R&I experts leverage Science & Technology to invent safe, trustable, sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people's lives.

Our Consumer Science team within Evaluation Intelligence sits at a truly unique crossroads: where deep consumer understanding meets cutting-edge data science. We exist to ensure that every product decision at L'Oreal - from formulation to launch - is grounded in rich, rigorous, and actionable consumer insight. As our organization accelerates its digital transformation, this team is evolving fast, blending traditional consumer research excellence with data science, AI, and automation to unlock insights faster, deeper, and more scalably than ever before.

We are seeking a Senior Scientist I, Consumer Data Intelligence to join our Consumer Science team at our Clark, New Jersey facility. This is a distinctive, dual-expertise role: you will lead qualitative and quantitative consumer product testing studies across our Makeup, Skin, and Hair categories from design through to results, while also serving as a data intelligence champion, driving key data science initiatives that power our consumer digital transformation roadmap. If you are equally energized by sitting with consumers to understand their needs and by writing Python code to scale that understanding across the organization, this role was built for you.

A Day in the Life: As a Senior Scientist I, Consumer Data Intelligence, you will:

• Lead consumer research from concept to impact - owning the end-to-end design and execution of studies, including study design, target consumer profiling, recruitment, questionnaire and discussion guide development, and delivering actionable recommendations that directly influence product development and business strategy.
• Embed consumer insight into the innovation pipeline - collaborating closely with lab partners, formulators, and category leaders locally and globally to ensure consumer learnings are meaningfully integrated into every stage of product development.
• Synthesize multi-disciplinary science into cohesive insight - partnering with Sensory, Expert, Instrumental, and Clinical Evaluation teams to weave diverse research streams into unified, compelling consumer narratives.
• Build the digital backbone of consumer science - developing and maintaining code (primarily Python) to build scalable data pipelines, automate research workflows, and support predictive and statistical modeling that elevates the speed and rigor of our research.
• Make insights impossible to ignore - designing, deploying, and maintaining interactive dashboards and data visualization tools that transform complex consumer data into clear, accessible, and business-ready insights.
• Turn complexity into clarity - synthesizing high-dimensional, multi-source datasets into sharp, high-impact business narratives that drive cross-functional alignment and confident, strategic decision-making.
• Pioneer the future of consumer science - identifying, evaluating, and prototyping new technologies, including AI/ML-powered tools and GenAI applications, through structured proof-of-concept testing that keeps L'Oreal at the cutting edge of consumer intelligence.
• Champion digital transformation with purpose - leveraging and expanding existing digital platforms to enhance consumer centricity, translating technical capabilities into meaningful business value, and driving the team's broader digital transformation roadmap forward.
• Build a best-in-class external network - identifying and cultivating relationships with external vendors leading the market in data intelligence and Generative AI, ensuring our team and organization stay ahead of the curve.
• Communicate with impact across every level - adapting your communication style fluidly to engage stakeholders from lab scientists to senior business leaders (Manager through VP level), and translating complex data science outputs into compelling, accessible narratives for non-technical audiences.
• Lead beyond your team - demonstrating cross-functional leadership that extends beyond Evaluation Intelligence, influencing lab partners and senior managers across the broader organization.
• Mentor and inspire the next generation - coaching and developing junior team members, fostering a culture of curiosity, digital literacy, and genuine consumer centricity across the team.

We Are Looking For: You're a great match for this role if you are an innovator, entrepreneur, integrator, and problem-solver with a research-minded approach - someone who thrives at the intersection of consumer science and data intelligence, and who is genuinely excited about shaping the future of how L'Oreal understands its consumers.

• Education: A degree in Data Science, Statistics, Market Research, Psychology, Sensory Science, Behavioral Science, Integrated Innovation, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience: 3-5+ years of relevant experience in qualitative and/or quantitative consumer research is required, including hands-on experience in study design, execution, analysis, and reporting. Familiarity with L'Oreal product categories (Skin, Hair, Makeup) is a plus.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Strong experience in experimental design, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis, and survey methodology.
  • Hands-on coding experience in SQL and Python is required, with demonstrated ability to build data pipelines, automate workflows, and support statistical or predictive modeling.
  • Exposure to machine learning algorithms (supervised/unsupervised), predictive modeling, and applied GenAI workflows within a professional or applied research setting.
  • Experience with statistical software and/or research platforms such as SPSS, R, Qualtrics, or similar tools.
  • Proven ability to build dashboards and data visualizations using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Plotly, or equivalent platforms.
  • A track record of successfully delivering digital or data solutions in a research or business context.
  • Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Soft Skills & Attributes:
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to translate technical findings into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical audiences.
  • Strong external vendor management skills, with the ability to negotiate and ensure top value and performance for the organization.
  • Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with short deadlines and evolving priorities.
  • Self-motivated, intellectually curious, and equally comfortable working independently and collaboratively across a matrixed organization.
  • A natural mentor and culture-builder, genuinely invested in fostering curiosity, digital literacy, and consumer centricity in those around you.
• Authorization to work in the United States on a full-time, permanent, ongoing basis is required. No immigration support/sponsorship offered for this role.
• The ability to be onsite, in the office at least 3 days a week, as this is an essential function of the position (required)

What's In It For You

• A place for you to leave your comfort zone and grow beyond your potential (here, you'll be encouraged to try new things and take risks!)
• Real responsibility from day 1, there's no sitting on the sidelines at L'Oreal
• An environment where people of every ethnicity, social background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities are accepted, can speak up, will thrive and are celebrated!
• A place where you can contribute to something bigger! Many of our brands have societal/environmental causes to make concrete difference
• Base Salary Range: $77,400 - $110,300 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level)
• Competitive Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
• Hybrid Work Policy (Up to 2 days per week work from home for eligible roles, subject to manager approval)
• Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)
• Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L'Oreal's Internal Shop for Discounted Products, Monthly Mobile Allowance)
• Learning and Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)
• Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
• Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs

Don't meet every single requirement? At L'Oreal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We're committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination against any applicant for employment because of the individual's gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, visible and/or invisible disabilities, socio-economic and/or multicultural origins, health conditions, age, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law.