STEM OPT Senior Researcher Jobs
Senior Researcher roles in R&D, academia, and biotech are strong fits for STEM OPT students with degrees in life sciences, computer science, engineering, or related fields. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies as long as your employer is enrolled in E-Verify and your role directly applies your STEM degree.
Find STEM OPT Senior Researcher JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 344+ Senior Researcher jobs
See all 344+ Senior Researcher Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Senior Researcher roles.
Get Access To All JobsJob Description:
The Senior Research Scientist is responsible for leading the development of innovative skincare and personal care formulations from concept through commercialization within the Formulation Sciences organization. This role serves as a technical subject matter expert in formulation chemistry and partners cross-functionally to deliver products that meet quality, performance, regulatory, and business objectives. The position will lead formulation activities, support scale-up efforts, mentor junior team members, and drive innovation, while operating within a highly collaborative matrix environment.
Reporting to: Vice President, R&D
Location: Johnson City, TN - onsite
Responsibilities/Essential Duties:
- Lead formulation development activities for skincare, cosmetic, OTC, personal care, and related products from concept through commercialization.
- Serve as a technical expert in emulsion and surfactant chemistry with advanced expertise in sunscreen and cosmetic formulations.
- Design, execute, analyze, and interpret scientific experiments and studies to support formulation development and optimization.
- Evaluate and incorporate new ingredients, technologies, and industry trends to support innovation initiatives and continuous improvement.
- Modify and optimize existing formulations to address changing regulatory requirements, improve product performance, and drive cost efficiencies.
- Build and maintain effective partnerships with ingredient suppliers and external technical partners to support development activities.
- Partner closely with Process Development and Manufacturing teams to support formulation scale-up and technology transfer activities.
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial partners.
- Apply understanding of intellectual property strategy, including patent review and basic patent search methodologies, during product development efforts.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior scientists and team members.
- Manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously while meeting established timelines and deliverables.
- Document research activities, experimental findings, and technical conclusions clearly and accurately.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree & 5+ years' directly related experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- 5-8 years' experience in cosmetic, personal care, OTC, or toiletries formulation development.
- Advanced knowledge of emulsion and surfactant chemistry.
- Expertise in sunscreen and cosmetic formulation technologies.
- Strong expertise in formulation science with demonstrated experience developing products from concept through commercialization.
- Experience with experimental design, scientific problem-solving, and data-driven decision making.
- Working knowledge of cosmetic ingredients and formulation technologies.
- Familiarity with cosmetic and/or OTC regulatory requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
- Experience supporting product scale-up and manufacturing transfer activities.
- Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a highly matrixed environment.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
Company Summary:
Crown is a proud member of the Revance Portfolio of skincare offerings. Revance is a fast-growing global aesthetics and skincare company focused on providing innovative aesthetics and market-leading skincare offerings throughout every stage of life. With a differentiated portfolio of products spanning 60 countries, Revance meets the evolving needs of patients and consumers worldwide through continued innovation and commercialization of new products and treatments.
What Revance invests in you:
- Competitive Compensation including base salary and annual performance bonus.
- Flexible PTO, holidays, and parental leave.
- Generous healthcare benefits, HSA match, 401k match, employer paid life and disability insurance, pet insurance, wellness discounts and much more!
This section of the job description is required by the American with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA requires that job descriptions reflect the physical and mental demands required to effectively perform the essential duties of the job. The ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against a "qualified individual with a disability" in all aspects of the employment relationship. A "qualified individual with a disability" is "an individual who meets the education, experience, skill, and other job-related requirements of a position held or desired, and who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a specified job."
Revance is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Job Description:
The Senior Research Scientist is responsible for leading the development of innovative skincare and personal care formulations from concept through commercialization within the Formulation Sciences organization. This role serves as a technical subject matter expert in formulation chemistry and partners cross-functionally to deliver products that meet quality, performance, regulatory, and business objectives. The position will lead formulation activities, support scale-up efforts, mentor junior team members, and drive innovation, while operating within a highly collaborative matrix environment.
Reporting to: Vice President, R&D
Location: Johnson City, TN - onsite
Responsibilities/Essential Duties:
- Lead formulation development activities for skincare, cosmetic, OTC, personal care, and related products from concept through commercialization.
- Serve as a technical expert in emulsion and surfactant chemistry with advanced expertise in sunscreen and cosmetic formulations.
- Design, execute, analyze, and interpret scientific experiments and studies to support formulation development and optimization.
- Evaluate and incorporate new ingredients, technologies, and industry trends to support innovation initiatives and continuous improvement.
- Modify and optimize existing formulations to address changing regulatory requirements, improve product performance, and drive cost efficiencies.
- Build and maintain effective partnerships with ingredient suppliers and external technical partners to support development activities.
- Partner closely with Process Development and Manufacturing teams to support formulation scale-up and technology transfer activities.
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial partners.
- Apply understanding of intellectual property strategy, including patent review and basic patent search methodologies, during product development efforts.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior scientists and team members.
- Manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously while meeting established timelines and deliverables.
- Document research activities, experimental findings, and technical conclusions clearly and accurately.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree & 5+ years' directly related experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- 5-8 years' experience in cosmetic, personal care, OTC, or toiletries formulation development.
- Advanced knowledge of emulsion and surfactant chemistry.
- Expertise in sunscreen and cosmetic formulation technologies.
- Strong expertise in formulation science with demonstrated experience developing products from concept through commercialization.
- Experience with experimental design, scientific problem-solving, and data-driven decision making.
- Working knowledge of cosmetic ingredients and formulation technologies.
- Familiarity with cosmetic and/or OTC regulatory requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
- Experience supporting product scale-up and manufacturing transfer activities.
- Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a highly matrixed environment.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
Company Summary:
Crown is a proud member of the Revance Portfolio of skincare offerings. Revance is a fast-growing global aesthetics and skincare company focused on providing innovative aesthetics and market-leading skincare offerings throughout every stage of life. With a differentiated portfolio of products spanning 60 countries, Revance meets the evolving needs of patients and consumers worldwide through continued innovation and commercialization of new products and treatments.
What Revance invests in you:
- Competitive Compensation including base salary and annual performance bonus.
- Flexible PTO, holidays, and parental leave.
- Generous healthcare benefits, HSA match, 401k match, employer paid life and disability insurance, pet insurance, wellness discounts and much more!
This section of the job description is required by the American with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA requires that job descriptions reflect the physical and mental demands required to effectively perform the essential duties of the job. The ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against a "qualified individual with a disability" in all aspects of the employment relationship. A "qualified individual with a disability" is "an individual who meets the education, experience, skill, and other job-related requirements of a position held or desired, and who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a specified job."
Revance is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
See all 344+ STEM OPT Senior Researcher Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Senior Researcher Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Senior Researcher
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on the STEM OPT eligible fields list. Mismatches between your CIP code and your degree title are a common reason DSOs can't authorize the extension.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask recruiters directly whether the hiring entity, not just the parent company, is enrolled in E-Verify. Research divisions and subsidiary labs sometimes operate under separate EINs that aren't covered by a parent organization's enrollment.
Align your I-983 training plan to the role
Your training plan must map your Senior Researcher duties to specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree. Vague job descriptions get pushed back by DSOs, so request a detailed position description from your hiring manager before submitting.
Target R&D-heavy employers with consistent OPT hiring
Use Migrate Mate to filter Senior Researcher postings by employers with documented STEM OPT hiring history. Government labs, pharmaceutical companies, and university-affiliated research centers file consistently and have established onboarding processes for OPT students.
Benchmark your offer against OFLC Wage Search data
Look up the prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location using the OFLC Wage Search before negotiating. Senior Researcher roles span multiple wage levels depending on supervision and complexity, and your offer affects future H-1B visa LCA compliance.
File your extension request 90 days before OPT expires
USCIS requires your STEM OPT extension application to be submitted no more than 90 days before your initial OPT end date. Missing this window means a gap in work authorization that can't be retroactively fixed, even with an approved extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Researcher role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your STEM degree directly relates to the research work you'll be performing. Senior Researcher positions in fields like computational biology, materials science, or data science typically qualify. Your DSO will confirm eligibility based on your specific CIP code and the job duties described in your I-983 training plan, not just your job title.
What E-Verify requirement applies to STEM OPT employers hiring researchers?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify at the specific site where you'll work. For Senior Researcher roles at institutions with multiple campuses or research divisions, the enrolling entity must match your actual worksite. You can confirm enrollment by asking HR for the employer's E-Verify company ID or by requesting written confirmation before your start date.
How should the I-983 training plan reflect Senior Researcher responsibilities?
Your I-983 must tie each primary job duty to a specific learning objective connected to your STEM degree. For Senior Researcher roles, this means detailing how activities like experimental design, data analysis, or literature synthesis develop skills within your degree field. Generic descriptions like 'conduct research' are insufficient. Work with your supervisor to draft duty-specific language before submitting to your DSO.
What happens to my STEM OPT if my employer loses E-Verify enrollment?
If your employer's E-Verify enrollment lapses after your extension begins, you're required to report the change to your DSO within five days and either secure re-enrollment or find a new qualifying employer. Continued employment without a current E-Verify enrollment violates STEM OPT terms and can jeopardize your status, even if the gap is brief.
Where can I find Senior Researcher jobs posted by E-Verify enrolled employers?
Migrate Mate filters Senior Researcher postings specifically for STEM OPT students, surfacing roles at employers already enrolled in E-Verify. This saves you the step of manually verifying each employer's enrollment status before applying. You can search by research area, degree field, and work location to narrow results to positions that fit your STEM OPT eligibility.