---
title: 'Staff Scientist, R&D at e.l.f. Beauty'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-scientist-r-d-e-l-f-beauty-shanghai-572kqeswedq9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Staff Scientist, R&D at e.l.f. Beauty

- **Company:** e.l.f. Beauty
- **Location:** Shanghai, China
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-10
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/elfbeauty/4132a3dd-d58d-4ac6-b1b8-c9419a0c51d5

## Job description

## About the Company

e.l.f. Beauty's purpose is to make the world a better place for every eye, lip, and face.

Our deep commitment to clean, cruelty free beauty at an incredible value has fueled the success of our flagship brand e.l.f. Cosmetics since 2004 and driven our portfolio expansion. Today, our multi-brand portfolio includes e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, e.l.f. Hair, Well People, Naturium and rhode.

In our Fiscal year 26, we had net sales of $1.6 Billion and our business performance has been nothing short of extraordinary with 7 consecutive years of net sales growth. This consistent, category-leading growth is a testament to the strength of our team, strategy, and portfolio of brands.

Our total compensation philosophy offers every full-time new hire competitive pay and benefits, bonus eligibility (200% of target over the last seven fiscal years), equity, flexible time off, year-round half-day Fridays, and a hybrid 3 day in office, 2 day at home work environment. We believe the combination of our unique culture, total compensation, workplace flexibility and care for the team is unmatched across not just beauty but any industry.

Visit our Career Page to learn more about our team: https://www.elfbeauty.com/work-with-us

Purpose of Job Independently develop formulas and processes including scale-up for haircare products. Lead to solve technical issues of the relevant product line. Continuously optimization of the processes to improve the cost and the quality. Lead problem solving for process related issues and ensure smooth production.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities Product Development 1.Independently develop formulas of haircare products, evaluate product performance, stability and compatibility, etc. 2.Upgrade existing products by modifying formula or process. 3.Qualify products from both technical and mass production point of view on schedule. 4.Analyze technical capability for each supplier, nominate supplier candidates for each item. 5.Lead the marketed trend study for both formula and ingredients.

Problem Solving

1. Identify, analyze and drive resolution of technical issues
2. Monitor suppliers/fillers for the actions plan execution

Organization building

1. Develop & compile standards and specifications of raw material and products. Organize product development documentation and reports.
2. Maintain internal systems
3. Propose recommendations with solid technical rational

Education/Knowledge/Experience Minimum request:

1. Bachelor or above degree. Majored in fine chemistry, applied chemistry, biology, material, or other related technical disciplines. Candidates with Junior college education level is also taken into consideration if he/she is super strong in product development.

Relevant skills and experience:

1. At least of 5 years’ experience in haircare products development of formulation and process. Experience in skincare products development is preferred.
2. Ability to develop formula and process independently.
3. Be Familiar with making/filling /packing process from Lab scale to mass production and quality control requirements.
4. Familiar with regulatory requirements of US and EU.
5. Be Innovative
6. Good in both spoken and written English and Chinese.
7. Strong collaborations
8. Good Logic thinking and proactive report timely.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this position. It also reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job identified, and shall not be considered, as detailed description of all the work required inherent in the job. It is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, and it is subject to changes and exceptions at the supervisors’ discretion.

e.l.f. Beauty respects your privacy. Please see our Job Applicant Privacy Notice (www.elfbeauty.com/us-job-applicant-privacy-notice) for how your personal information is used and shared.

## About e.l.f. Beauty

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: e.l.f. Beauty is a disruptive cosmetics and skincare company that offers high-quality, clean, cruelty-free beauty products at accessible prices, building a multi-brand portfolio to shape culture and connect communities.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: ELF)
- **Headquarters**: Oakland, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2004
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Personal care product manufacturing (cosmetics, skincare)
- **Target customers**: B2C – mass market, accessible beauty for all demographics
- **Mission/purpose**: “Disrupt norms, shape culture and connect communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility” [investor.elfbeauty.com](https://investor.elfbeauty.com/about-elf-beauty)

## Products & Services
- **e.l.f. Cosmetics**: Flagship brand offering a wide range of color cosmetics at affordable prices (SaaS? No, physical consumer goods).
- **e.l.f. SKIN**: Skincare line focused on clean, effective, and affordable products.
- **Well People**: Pioneering clean beauty brand.
- **Naturium**: High-performance, biocompatible, clinically-effective and accessible skincare.
- **rhode**: Curated skincare essentials formulated for various skin types with high-performance ingredients (note: rhode is a distinct brand, not the celebrity brand owned by Hailey Bieber).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $6.4B (as of 2026) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-l-f-beauty)
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of $1.6B (FY2026?); FY2027 Q1 revenue was $479.4M, net income $66.6M [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-l-f-beauty)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Public company; institutional investors include Vanguard, BlackRock, etc. (not specified in search results)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 62.9% YoY to 735 employees; launched new brand rhode; expanded international presence; 54% YoY LinkedIn follower growth (632K followers) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-l-f-beauty)

## Competitive Advantages
- **High quality at low price point** – core disruptive positioning that earned the tagline “the impossible becomes possible.”
- **Clean, cruelty-free, and accessible** – all products are clean and never tested on animals, aligning with modern consumer values.
- **Portfolio diversification** – multiple brands (e.l.f., Well People, Naturium, rhode) cover different price tiers and skin concerns.
- **Digital & social commerce strength** – heavy investment in TikTok, influencer marketing, and direct-to-consumer channels.
- **Culture of ownership** – every employee receives equity, fostering a high-performance teamwork environment.

## Strategic Focus
- Continue to disrupt the beauty industry by expanding the brand portfolio (recently added Naturium and rhode).
- Grow global reach, especially in international markets (e.g., India, UK, China, Canada).
- Strengthen digital commerce and social commerce capabilities.
- Invest in talent development (e.l.f. U learning platform) to fuel high-performance culture.

## Why Work Here
- **High-performance teamwork culture** built on passionate relationships, mutual accountability, and healthy conflict [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/work-with-us)
- **88% employee engagement** score (as of Jan 2026) [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/work-with-us)
- **Diverse and inclusive** – 71% women and 43% diverse across leadership; team reflects communities served [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/impact/people-culture)
- **Ownership mindset** – every e.l.f. is an equity holder; “every e.l.f. is an owner” [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/impact/people-culture)
- **Comprehensive benefits** – healthcare, equity, flexible PTO, competitive salary and bonus, career development via e.l.f. U [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/work-with-us)
- **Hybrid/flexible work** – many roles are hybrid (e.g., Ahmedabad, New York, Oakland); option for remote? Not explicitly stated, but flexible PTO suggests flexibility.
- **Employee rating** – 3.2/5 on LinkedIn (311 reviews) with work-life balance at 3.0, culture 3.1 [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-l-f-beauty) – reflects a high-pressure but rewarding environment.
- **Zero distance to leadership** – emphasis on open access to C-suite and growth paths [elfbeauty.com](https://www.elfbeauty.com/impact/people-culture)

## Sources
1. [elfbeauty.com – Work With Us](https://www.elfbeauty.com/work-with-us)
2. [jobs.lever.co – e.l.f. Beauty Careers](https://jobs.lever.co/elfbeauty)
3. [investor.elfbeauty.com – About e.l.f. Beauty](https://investor.elfbeauty.com/about-elf-beauty)
4. [linkedin.com – e.l.f. Beauty Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-l-f-beauty)
5. [elfbeauty.com – People & Culture](https://www.elfbeauty.com/impact/people-culture)

## Other roles at e.l.f. Beauty

- [Supply Planner, rhode](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-planner-rhode-e-l-f-beauty-beverly-hills-5gkg93q5w164) — Beverly Hills, CA
- [Associate Director, Quality](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-quality-e-l-f-beauty-shanghai-9db4b4q51sgw) — Shanghai, China
- [Senior Manager, Quality (Microbiologist)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-quality-microbiologist-e-l-f-beauty-shanghai-zz8mggqydpsw) — Shanghai, China
- [Manager, Packaging Engineer - Naturium - Los Angeles Office](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-packaging-engineer-naturium-los-angeles-office-e-l-f-beauty-los-angeles-06kmd7m3h3dn) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Associate Manager, Packaging Development](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-manager-packaging-development-e-l-f-beauty-shanghai-5q9pq0naz83f) — Shanghai, China
- [Senior Manager, Digital Commerce](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-digital-commerce-e-l-f-beauty-new-york-n6r3heaqs7yz) — New York, NY
- [Sr. Manager, Accounting, rhode](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manager-accounting-rhode-e-l-f-beauty-beverly-hills-b65d0mhwb3vp) — Beverly Hills, CA
- [Associate, Community Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-community-manager-e-l-f-beauty-ahmedabad-zmdp1f8v2dqs) — Ahmedabad, India
- [Associate Director, Influencer Marketing, Naturium](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-influencer-marketing-naturium-e-l-f-beauty-los-angeles-5zr06k8phjfn) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manager, Demand Planning](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-demand-planning-e-l-f-beauty-los-angeles-rdvm3shydpat) — Los Angeles, CA