Who we are:
Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives with our high-quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all – a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values, we pride ourselves to be listed among the World´s Most Ethical Companies since 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.
The role:
Ideation, development and validation of innovative hair care technologies, with strong focus on novel hair color technology development. Examination of fundamental properties of hair fibres and formulations.
What you will do:
- Design and conduct laboratory experiments to examine new technologies or products (ideas from internal/external sources and KAO Research), generating scientific insights into their performance or influence on physical/chemical/optical properties on hair.
- Design and conduct laboratory evaluation techniques to understand/ characterize the influence of new products or technologies on hair properties (e.g., damage), including the testing of hair fibres physically, chemically or optically. Arrange work plans to execute hands-on research in laboratory settings and within established time frames.
- Initial stability testing of prototype formulations.
- Work with partners from other teams to transfer technologies into, e.g., product development or for initial testing and real-world evaluation of new technologies in collaboration with Salon testing team.
- Administrative work: Create and maintain all necessary documentation in order to develop new technologies/products (i.e., lab notebooks, technical test methods/data, etc).
- Applying for patents to safeguard research findings; assisting the Patent department with patent registration and generation of data to support patent applications at each stage.
What you will need:
- Minimum Bachelors Degree in Natural Sciences
- At least 2 years experience working in the hair care field, practical knowledge of hair care formulations, handling hair samples and familiarity with common hair and formulation testing methods
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- Excellent collaboration and communicational skills
- Highly self-motivated, Ability to work independently
- Fluent in English (oral and written)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Tools (Powerpoint, Excel, Word)
How we work: Having been selected among the World´s Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.
What we offer: A friendly and flexible work environment with competitive salaries, benefits package, ongoing development and the opportunity to enhance your skills and deliver tangible results. At Kao your voice will be heard. Your opinion really counts. We believe that change comes from taking opportunities into your own hands, so we value and reward entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.
Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community.
Want to learn more: If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us, please visit https://www.kao.com/emea/en/
Top Skills
What We Do
Ever since the company's founding in 1887, Kao has strived to deliver value to the life of people everywhere in the world. Today, we are a leading manufacturer in the fields of hygiene, beauty and health, while our chemical business contributes to the development of diverse industries. With more than 33,000 employees, our mission is to enrich the lives of people globally and contribute to the sustainability of the world.
In the regions of Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), we focus on our Beauty Care business with premium brands in three business sectors: Consumer, Salon and Cosmetics.
Our Business Sector represents skin and hair care brands that are recognized worldwide for their innovation and quality, such as Jergens, Curél, Bioré, Guhl, and John Frieda.
Our Salon Business Sector is committed to unleashing the creativity of stylists around the globe. With our industry leading brands Goldwell, KMS and Oribe, stylists have everything in their hands to create beautiful show-stopping hair representative of the individuality of their clients.
Our London-based boutique brand, Molton Brown, offers luxury beauty products found only in our exclusive Molton Brown stores, high-end department stores and travel retail, as well as five-star hotels around the world.
All three business sectors are driven by the same values and beliefs: Creating high-quality products and constantly striving for the best is what is at the heart of everything we do.
This is why we understand that our people are one of our core assets, and we strive for a working environment that allows team members to flourish and grow. Join us, and you will have opportunity to help us make life beautiful
