Engineer, Process Innovation

Description

Position Overview

The Upstream Innovation Engineer will play a pivotal role in identifying, evaluating, and advancing next-generation processing and filling technologies that enable new product forms, textures, and manufacturing capabilities for The Estée Lauder Companies. This role combines conceptual innovation with hands-on engineering, supporting the journey from early idea to proof of manufacturing.

Working closely with senior technical leaders, the Engineer will explore emerging technologies across compounding, mixing, and filling—bridging the gap between R&D concepts and scalable, efficient manufacturing solutions that deliver breakthrough product experiences.

The role requires a balance between strategic, conceptual thinking and practical, hands-on execution—ideal for an engineer who enjoys working in the lab and pilot environment as much as identifying and developing new innovation technologies.

Technology Scouting & Evaluation

• Identify and monitor emerging processing and filling technologies that can redefine how beauty products are produced.
• Collaborate with cross-functional and external partners to assess feasibility, scalability, and alignment with Estée Lauder’s innovation strategy.
• Lead early-stage evaluations and technical trials to determine the potential of new processes to deliver differentiated product forms and sensorial experiences.

Proof of Concept & Process Development

• Design and conduct proof-of-concept and pilot-scale trials to validate new processing and filling technologies, ensuring product texture, stability, and quality.
• Translate laboratory learnings into process parameters and engineering documentation that support scale-up and manufacturing readiness.
• Partner with R&D, Process Development, Packaging, Engineering Innovation, and Equipment Suppliers to build prototypes and define process design criteria for new formulations, formats, and manufacturing approaches.

Actively perform hands-on setup, assembly, operation, and troubleshooting of pilot units and processes.

Implementation, Scale-Up & Internal Partnership

• Support the end-to-end innovation process—from technology scouting through proof of manufacturing.
• Partner closely with internal engineering and manufacturing teams to translate upstream innovation into agile, cost-effective, and scalable process and filling solutions.
• Collaborate on process design, equipment integration, automation, and controls to ensure manufacturability and repeatability.
• Develop detailed process documentation, risk assessments, and technical guidelines to ensure robust implementation and knowledge transfer.

Collaboration & Culture

• Work directly with the Executive Fellow and Executive Director to shape Estée Lauder’s upstream innovation agenda in processing and filling technologies.
• Contribute to the collaborative, “can-do” culture of the new Long Island Engineering Center—a hub for technical creativity, rapid experimentation, and applied innovation.
• Communicate findings, recommendations, and technology roadmaps to leadership and cross-functional partners.

Why Join Us

Join a world-class team in Estée Lauder’s state-of-the-art Engineering Center on Long Island, where innovation meets craftsmanship. You’ll explore the frontiers of processing and filling technologies to unlock new product textures, sensorial experiences, and manufacturing capabilities, while collaborating across R&D, formulation, engineering, and supply chain teams to deliver innovative, efficient, and transformative solutions that shape the future of beauty manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in process development, manufacturing technology, or innovation engineering, ideally within cosmetics, consumer goods, food, or pharmaceuticals.
• Strong understanding of process fundamentals: mixing, emulsification, rheology, filling dynamics, heat/mass transfer, and scale-up.
• Demonstrated ability to balance conceptual design and hands-on technical execution, including operation and assembly of lab and pilot-scale processing systems.
• Experience with unit operations, process control, and troubleshooting in a laboratory or pilot plant environment.
• Proven experience collaborating with R&D, formulation, supply chain, and engineering teams to develop agile, cost-effective, and scalable process solutions.
• Curiosity-driven and creative thinker passionate about emerging technologies, new product forms, and novel sensorial experiences.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.