Senior Laboratory Specialist

Clorox is the place that’s committed to growth – for our people and our brands. Guided by our purpose and values, and with people at the center of everything we do, we believe every one of us can make a positive impact on consumers, communities, and teammates. Join our team. #CloroxIsThePlace

Your role at Clorox:

Delivery of Clorox’s innovation growth targets is contingent upon strong laboratory rigor in bench-scale development experiments, sample and data generation, and testing. The Sr. Laboratory Specialist role is responsible for managing the R&D lab spaces in Durham, intake and execution of technical lab requests from R&D teammates, and supporting successful product development learnings.

In this role, you will:

Technical R&D Lab Support - 55%

• Prioritize and execute batching, testing, stability, and sample preparation requests; coordinate with Technician(s) for task assignment.
• Manage execution timelines, ensuring work is completed accurately and on time
• Proactively communicate progress, results, and potential challenges to key stakeholders; collaborate on solutions to meet project deliverables.
• Execute complex methods and standard procedures to produce generate reliable and reproducible results.
• Coordinate with External (clinical and safety) testing partners; manage sample prep and transport, track and share results with requestors.

Site & Equipment Maintenance - 15%

• Ensure all lab equipment is available, calibrated, and functioning; perform or coordinate preventative maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Lead approved equipment installation and capital improvement in partnership with R&D.
• Maintain lab cleanliness standards; manage 3rd-party custodial services and enforce ownership by R&D users.
• Support the R&D liaison to enterprise EHS: communicate Lab safety plan and ensure Durham lab safety compliance.
• Manage waste sorting and removal in compliance with sustainability goals and local regulations

Inventory & Materials Management - 10%

• Maintain adequate stock of common raw materials and packaging components to meet R&D request timelines.
• Order materials proactively from internal sites and external suppliers; arrange courier services for compliant delivery.
• Prepare common materials for Scientist-performed lab work.
• Own accurate material inventory tracking; identify and implement process improvements.

Training & SOP Development - 10%

• Cross-train technicians, scientists, and other lab users on lab safety, equipment operation, and standard procedures.
• Maintain SOPs and oversee training scheduling and documentation.

Laboratory Budget - 5%

• Track lab consumables, materials, and contracted service costs within approved budget.
• Monitor equipment depreciation and partner with Manager for replacement planning.

Lab Demonstrations & Exhibitions - 5%

• Coordinate lab tours and demonstrations for enterprise visitors outside Burt's Bees/Foods R&D.
• Schedule visits to minimize workflow disruption and protect intellectual property (IP).
• Ensure all visitors complete safety and hygiene acknowledgements before entering lab spaces.

What we look for:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in R&D Laboratory roles within the personal care industry, with an emphasis on roles in laboratory management.
• Experience with R&D systems – e.g. MS Office, material/formula tracking, lab notebooks, laboratory data capture, and knowledge management.
• Strong lab fundamentals and technique
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Knowledge of personal care raw materials, formulations, and processes and the ability to successfully execute batches at lab scale. 
• Applicable knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of products (Outlook, Excel, etc.) and lab software
• Ability to manage the delegation of work within technician team while meeting requested deliverables.
• Skilled in prioritization to manage competing deliverables, and escalation for decisions as needed.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred in a relevant scientific field – or relevant transferrable lab experience.
• Mobility: Standing for extended periods; frequent movement between benches, equipment, and storage.
• Dexterity: Fine motor skills for pipettes, vials, small tools; strong hand-eye coordination.
• Lifting: Ability to lift 5–30 lbs (raw materials, sample containers, small equipment).
• Sensory: Visual acuity for labels, measurements, and instrument outputs; ability to detect color changes, phase separation, and odors.

Workplace type:

Our values-based culture connects to our purpose and empowers people to be their best, professionally and personally. We serve a diverse consumer base which is why we believe teams that reflect our consumers bring fresh perspectives, drive innovation, and help us stay attuned to the world around us. That’s why we foster an inclusive culture where every person can feel respected, valued, and fully able to participate, and ultimately able to thrive. Learn more.

[U.S.]Additional Information:

At Clorox, we champion people to be well and thrive, starting with our own people. To help make this possible, we offer comprehensive, competitive benefits that prioritize all aspects of wellbeing and provide flexibility for our teammates’ unique needs. This includes robust health plans, a market-leading 401(k) program with a company match, flexible time off benefits (including half-day summer Fridays depending on location), inclusive fertility/adoption benefits, and more.

We are committed to fair and equitable pay and are transparent with current and future teammates about our full salary ranges. We use broad salary ranges that reflect the competitive market for similar jobs, provide sufficient opportunity for growth as you gain experience and expand responsibilities, while also allowing for differentiation based on performance. Based on the breadth of our ranges, most new hires will start at Clorox in the first half of the applicable range. Your starting pay will depend on job-related factors, including relevant skills, knowledge, experience, and location. The applicable salary range for every role in the U.S. is based on your work location and is aligned to one of three zones according to the cost of labor in your area.

–Zone A: $66,700 - $118,700

–Zone B: $61,100 - $108,800

–Zone C: $:55,600 - $98,900

All ranges are subject to change in the future. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

This job is also eligible for participation in Clorox’s incentive plans, subject to the terms of the applicable plan documents and policies.

Please apply directly to our job postings and do not submit your resume to any person via text message. Clorox does not conduct text-based interviews and encourages you to be cautious of anyone posing as a Clorox recruiter via unsolicited texts during these uncertain times.

To all recruitment agencies: Clorox (and its brand families) does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to Clorox employees, including any members of our leadership team. Clorox is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.