QC Specialist, Fragrance

What You'll Do:
Judge incoming raw material results from automated testing, deciding when an out-of-spec reading is a real defect versus normal variation in a natural material

Apply trained olfactive judgment to evaluate raw materials and finished goods using sensory skill the equipment can't replicate

Run triangulation testing on outgoing product to confirm it matches prior batches before it reaches a customer

Make accept/reject calls in real time, multiple times a day, escalating only genuinely ambiguous cases to the QC Manager

Step in and cover QC sign-off when the QC Manager is unavailable, keeping finished-goods flow moving rather than stalling

Maintain and run lab instrumentation (GC/MS, photosampler, flash point testing, colorimeters), including calibration checks and upkeep

Maintain audit-ready lab records: test logs, certificates of analysis, and equipment records

Mentor QC Tech staff on fragrance-specific testing and olfactive judgment

Partner across the floor with Purchasing, Warehouse, Shipping/Receiving, and Fragrance Development on sample flow and testing turnaround

Who You Are:
Fragrance industry experience or exposure required — adjacent industries (coffee, beer, wine, alcohol roasting, flavor, cosmetics, specialty chemicals) don't clear the bar

Comfortable making high-frequency accept/reject calls independently, without over-escalating routine judgment

Trained nose — sensory and olfactive evaluation skill specific to fragrance raw materials and finished goods

Strong hands-on experience with lab instrumentation; GC/GCMS familiarity is a plus, not a requirement

Strong documentation habits

Comfortable stepping into a QC decision-making role in the Manager's absence

Technical degree preferred (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related); equivalent hands-on fragrance-industry lab experience accepted in place of a degree

On-site in Elizabeth, NJ, 5 days a week