Location: Toronto, Canada

Function: Research & Development (R&D)

Reports To: Head of SCL R&D – North America

At the Forefront of Personal Care Innovation for People & Planet

At Unilever, we believe access to personal care is a fundamental human right. We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint through sustainable innovation and delivering exceptional consumer experiences. Guided by our purpose-led, future-fit strategy—built on the beliefs that brands with purpose grow, companies with purpose last, and people with purpose thrive—we are shaping the future of beauty and personal care.

Background & Purpose of the Job

This role will be responsible leading R&D for the Personal Care (PC) R&D team & agenda in Canada, as well as support the Beauty & Wellbeing (B&W) category R&D.  The role will be Business Partner the Head of PC Canada as key member of the PC Leadership Team for the Business Unit, driving clarity for the business through aligned OKR ownership and to coordinate the R&D program that align with committed business delivery. As the senior-most R&D representative in Canada, you will serve as the key head of technology, accountable for delivering the Total Innovation & Renovation Plan aligned with PC NA/CA growth ambitions. You will also lead regulatory engagement, technical activation, and retailer collaboration to ensure successful product launches and sustained category growth. In this role, you will also be accountable for ensuring that all technical, legal, and regulatory inputs are thoroughly integrated into every aspect of Innovation & Renovation activities.

What the Position Will Require:

Strategic & Technical Leadership

• Own and drive aligned Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to ensure clarity and delivery of business objectives.
• Lead the coordination and execution of R&D programs that support committed business outcomes.
• Drive the Innovation & Renovation Funnel Sufficiency and Fuel for Growth Savings targets.
• Translate technical performance into compelling consumer experiences and claims.

Retailer & Market Activation

• Partner with Canadian retailers to co-design and activate innovation that meets local consumer needs.
• Lead technical activation strategies to ensure successful product launches and in-market performance.

Regulatory & Compliance

• Lead Canadian regulatory strategy and engagement, ensuring compliance with Health Canada and other relevant authorities.
• Navigate the Canadian legal and regulatory environment to enable innovation and mitigate risk.

People & Team Development

• Inspire and develop a high-performing R&D team, fostering a culture of agility, innovation, and purpose.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across Marketing, Customer Development, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Global R&D.
• Demonstrate a proven ability to coach and inspire teams, fostering a high-performance culture that drives collective success and continuous growth.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Demonstrate strong communication and team skills, with the ability to influence and drive technical work & business decision towards key decision points.
• Demonstrate a strong ability to translate complex input and innovative ideas into clear execution plans and actionable steps, ensuring progress from concept through to delivery.
• Effectively synthesize and summarize key activities and strategic ideas, tailoring communications for senior stakeholders to facilitate informed decision-making and organizational alignment.
• Develop and drive productive working relationships with a range of partners within R&D (Packaging, CTI, Fragrance, Microbiology, Analytical) and cross-functionally (Marketing, CMI, Supply Chain, Finance).
• Key stakeholder & R&D partners that will interface directly: Head of Skin Cleansing NA (Line Manager), Head of Deos NA, Head of Beauty & Wellbeing R&D NA and SVP of R&D Personal Care North America. 
• Communicate technical information effectively to both scientific and non-scientific audiences, including executive and customer-facing teams.
• Distill superior technology and product benefits into clear, compelling claims and demos that help land innovations with customers and excite consumers.

Innovation Mindset & Scientific Rigor

• Apply a lean innovation mindset to lead consumer product testing programs, using agile methods to develop and execute minimum viable products (MVPs).
• Partner with clinical and claims experts to develop new clinical methods, performance measurements, and evidence-based research that deliver meaningful beauty, health, and wellness outcomes.

Who You Are and What You’ll Do:

• You’re a born leader: You guide teams with clarity and purpose, delivering innovation pipelines on time, in full, and with agility.
• You’re a dot connector: You build strong relationships across functions and geographies, enabling efficient and creative problem-solving.
• You’re a scientific pioneer: You bring deep technical expertise in personal care product development—especially surfactant science, clinical mildness, and moisturization efficacy—and lead partnerships that accelerate innovation for people and planet.
• You’re a strategic thinker: You identify future technology spaces and execute programs that generate incremental value for brands and business.
• You’re a communicator: You translate complex science into compelling stories that resonate with consumers, customers, and stakeholders.

Required Experience & Skills:

• Proven leadership in R&D within Personal Care and/or Beauty & Wellbeing categories.
• Deep knowledge of personal care cosmetic product development and surfactant science.
• Strong experience navigating the Canadian legal and regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated success in technical activation and co-designing with retailers.
• Strong communication and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and developing high-performing talent.
• Ability to manage complex programs and deliver results in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Track record of partnering across R&D disciplines to deliver clinical and claims excellence.

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Unilever Canada is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, marital status, family status, disability, genetic characteristics, and a conviction for which a pardon has been granted.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: These lines are reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and are not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses.

Unilever Canada est une organisation engagé à la diversité et à l'inclusion pour stimuler nos résultats d'affaires et créer un meilleur avenir chaque jour pour nos employés, les consommateurs globaux, les partenaires et les communautés. Nous croyons qu'un effectif diversifiée nous permet de faire correspondre nos ambitions de croissance et de stimuler l'inclusion dans l'entreprise. Tous les candidats qualifiés recevront la considération pour un emploi sans égard à la race, la couleur, la religion, le sexe, l'orientation sexuelle, l'identité ou l'expression de genre, l'âge, l'origine nationale ou ethnique, l'état matrimonial, la situation familiale, l'invalidité, les caractéristiques génétique, et une condamnation pour laquelle un pardon a été accordée.

Si vous êtes une personne handicapée qui a besoin d'aide à tout moment au cours de notre processus de recrutement, veuillez communiquer avec nous au NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Veuillez noter: ces lignes sont réservées aux personnes handicapées ayant besoin d'aide et ne sont pas un moyen d'enquêter sur les postes.