The Opportunity: Shape the Future of Skincare

Are you a visionary scientific leader ready to transform early-stage discovery into game-changing skincare products?

Join our R&D Futures Team as a Science & Innovation Manager and step into a pivotal role that sits at the intersection of deep science, strategic project management, and future-forward consumer innovation. This is more than a management role - it's an opportunity to design, develop, and deliver the next generation of breakthrough skincare technologies, taking novel concepts from white space to 'handover-ready' launch concepts.

We're looking for a scientist project manager - a decisive, commercially astute individual, ideally with a background in FMCG/Beauty Front End Innovation.

Role and Responsibilities:

Execution & Delivery of Novel Technical Innovations:

• Project & Research POD Leadership: Act as the Research POD Lead, overseeing multiple early-stage research projects. Define clear project scope, set aggressive but realistic milestones, coordinate cross-functional resources, and own risk management and progress tracking.
• Feasibility & Stage-Gate Decision-Making: Lead regular, data-driven reviews to evaluate technical feasibility and commercial viability. Provide expert, evidence-based recommendations on whether to accelerate, pivot, or terminate projects to maintain a high-value portfolio.
• IP Strategy & Generation: Develop and execute the IP strategy for the Futures portfolio. Coordinate with legal teams on patent filing, conduct competitive IP landscape analyses, and ensure IP direction is accurately translated into achievable technical research objectives.
• Innovation Handover Readiness: Serve as a key liaison between the Futures Team and downstream Category/Core R&D teams. Ensure all research is robustly validated and projects are packaged with all necessary technical data and insights for a seamless "Handover Readiness" transition.
• External Partnership Management: Identify, evaluate, and engage with external scientific partners, technology providers, and academic institutions. Negotiate and manage collaborative research agreements to rapidly onboard disruptive technologies.

Innovation Pipeline Strategy & Management:

• White Space Identification: Systematically identify white space opportunities and disruptive technologies (e.g., biotech, advanced materials, AI-driven discovery) to proactively shape the future 3-5 year innovation pipeline.
• Portfolio Management & Business Case Creation: Drive new projects into the innovation pipeline by developing compelling business cases, conducting robust initial technical and commercial feasibility assessments, and securing resource alignment.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performance team of innovation specialists and research scientists. Foster a collaborative, curious, and accountable culture focused on excellence.
• Budget Oversight: Support the Head of Futures in the strategic budget management for the department, ensuring resources are optimally deployed against the highest-value opportunities.
• Scientific Storytelling: Translate complex scientific discovery and data into compelling commercial narratives for marketing, executive, and external stakeholders to secure alignment and project momentum.

Requirements:

Hard Skills & Experience

• Education: A minimum of a Science Degree in a relevant field (e.g., Chemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related discipline).
• Experience: Demonstrable experience managing innovation teams and early-stage innovation pipelines, ideally within the FMCG, Skincare, Beauty, or adjacent consumer sectors.
• Project Management Expertise: Highly organised with proven experience in managing multiple early-stage projects through structured project management frameworks (e.g., stage-gate, agile).
• Front-End Innovation: Proven track record in front-end innovation, insight-to-concept translation, or early-stage product strategy.
• Scientific Rigour: Strong command of Research Design principles. Experience in patent development and/or publishing scientific papers is highly desirable.

Soft Skills & Leadership Qualities

• Leadership in Ambiguity: The ability to shape direction, create structure, and drive clarity in fast-moving, undefined, or ambiguous research environments.
• Commercial Acumen: A solid understanding of market dynamics, business case development, and the drivers of value creation in the consumer space.
• Collaboration & Influence: Exceptional cross-functional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical partners (R&D, Marketing, Legal) without formal authority.
• Skincare Market Fluency: A strong understanding of the skincare market, competitor landscape, and consumer insights.
• Problem-Solving: Decisive, analytical, and highly effective at root-cause analysis and strategic resolution of technical and project roadblocks.

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire.

About us

Founded in 2009 by UK scientists and brothers, Elliot and Daniel Isaacs, we are a British, B Corp™ certified dermatological skincare brand, globally renowned for our age-defying heroes that deliver results without compromise.

Our mission is to simplify the route to great skin through the highest quality, most efficacious and trusted products on the market. All this is underpinned by our pioneering CSA Philosophy® of vitamin C plus sunscreen by day, and vitamin A (retinoids) by night which addresses 90% of anti-ageing skincare needs to deliver more youthful-looking skin.

Culture & Benefits

We are fuelled by our commitment to sustainability, quality, efficiency, and an unwavering passion for our customers. Championing solutions-focused thinking, we possess a purpose-driven mentality and strive to work with integrity and agility, always. We are collaborative go-givers; our diverse talents work cross-functionally and we achieve more together. We are proud to do everything in-house, challenging the norm and pushing the boundaries of possibility. It’s just who we are!

Some of the perks of being part of the Medik8 team include:
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays
- Flexible & Hybrid working
- Private Medical Insurance + Mental Health support
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Annual Performance Bonus
- Long Service Awards
- 75% discount + Annual Product Allowance
- Flexible Career opportunities
- Up-skilling support + regular Lunch & Learns
- 2 Volunteering days per year
- Matched Charitable Giving Scheme

Want to do a little more research before you apply?

Head over to our main careers page to find out more about the team and our values. You can also find out more about us on LinkedIn, Glassdoor & Instagram.


At Medik8, we believe that diversity within our workplace drives innovation. We celebrate multiple backgrounds, cultures, approaches and points of view, and believe that when people feel respected and included, they can truly flourish. We’re committed to advancing equal opportunities and we’re dedicated to building a workforce as diverse as our consumer base, creating a multifaceted, equitable and inclusive culture and allowing all colleagues to bring their whole selves to work.

Our DE&I ethos also flows through our recruitment process. Studies have found that minority groupings tend to apply for roles only when they meet 100% of the role requirements, in comparison to non-minority grouping tend to apply when they meet only 60% of the role requirements (Hewlett Packard ). The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you think you meet 60+ of the role spec and are passionate, excited & feel like you have the potential to fulfil the rest - then we want to hear from you!