Director, Fragrance Evaluation

Who we are at Osmo:

Osmo is a digital olfaction company, on a mission to give computers a sense of smell to improve the health and wellbeing of human life. Why? Our sense of smell both enriches and saves lives, and has a deep and direct connection to our emotions and memory.

Olfactory Intelligence has applications across industries including fragrance, manufacturing, security, medicine, and more. We believe in the power of automation and thoughtfully applied AI/ML to solve problems beyond the reach of human intuition alone.

We're headquartered in Elizabeth, NJ, with an additional office in Somerville, MA. We provide complimentary shuttle service from Brooklyn and Newark, NJ.

About the Role

Osmo is seeking a Director of Fragrance Evaluation to lead our evaluation function and define how scent is selected, communicated, and brought to market. This is a client-facing seat: you're in the room reading the client's priorities, telling the story, and closing — structurally B2B, but conviction-selling in practice, the way a strong B2C brand sells. You'll lead the evaluation team, partner closely with perfumers, trend intelligence, and commercial teams to ensure every fragrance is both emotionally resonant and commercially viable, and help shape how AI- and LLM-powered development tools integrate into traditional perfumery.

What You'll Do:

• Lead and manage the evaluation team, setting standards for olfactive excellence and consistency

• Serve as the final decision-maker and internal voice of the consumer, ensuring all fragrance submissions meet client and market expectations

• Own client-facing evaluation moments directly: read the client's priorities in the room, shape the narrative around the fragrance direction, and close

• Partner closely with perfumers through iterative smelling, feedback, and refinement sessions, building the kind of trust that lets you guide direction candidly

• Oversee fragrance selection across fine fragrance and personal/home care (currently roughly balanced, a mix that has shifted before and will likely keep shifting), ensuring strong category fluency

• Give evaluators strategic, stage-by-stage guidance mid-project on how to accelerate and close a deal

• Join Paladin materials-related meetings and advocate for the fragrance department's interests

• Collaborate with commercial teams to align fragrance direction with client needs and market opportunities

• Support development across both oil and turnkey projects, ensuring consistency in quality and positioning

• Participate in and help lead internal development panels

• Partner with fragrance marketing and trend teams to translate scent into clear, compelling olfactive narratives

• Help define how Osmo communicates scent, internally and externally

• Actively participate in the evolution of Osmo's AI-driven development tools, providing structured feedback on how AI interprets olfactive direction, trend signals, and formulation outputs

• Maintain a strong understanding of consumer preferences, category trends, and competitive landscape

Who You Are:

• 12+ years of experience in fragrance evaluation, with strong expertise in fine fragrance and meaningful experience in personal/home care and candles

• US-based, able to work on-site in Elizabeth, NJ — non-negotiable, no exceptions for international candidates

• Proven, demonstrated coaching and team-building — real mentorship, PIPs where warranted, and empathetic leadership, since fragrance evaluators are emotionally invested people and that leadership style is the linchpin of the role

• Track record building trust with perfumers specifically, not only with an evaluation team

• Strong olfactive acuity with the ability to confidently guide scent direction and selection

• Comfort working cross-functionally with perfumers, commercial teams, and marketing

• Comfortable with ambiguity, energized by building new ways of working

• Clear communicator, able to translate scent into language that drives decisions

Ways to Stand Out:

• Direct experience leading client-facing evaluation and closing, not just internal-facing evaluation review

• Experience building trust and coaching relationships with both perfumers and evaluators in the same seat

What We Offer:

• Catered Lunch — Mon/Wed/Fri; Newark, NJ and Brooklyn shuttles

• 401(k) savings plan and employer match

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a high-growth company

• Flexible PTO and paid family leave

• Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit and parking)

If this role inspires you we’d encourage you to apply. We are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining an incredible team optimized for a diversity of thought, background, and approaches.

Every posting lists the pay range and benefits for that role. Where you land in the range depends on skills, experience, scope, and internal equity. Full time employees receive a total rewards package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, a healthcare FSA, a 401(k) with company match, flexible paid time off, paid family leave, company holidays, and commuter benefits. Eligible roles also receive equity, which is subject to the terms of the equity plan and board approval and is not guaranteed. Applicants and employees may ask about and discuss their pay without retaliation.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Osmo is an equal opportunity employer. We hire, develop, and promote based on skills, experience, and potential, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, nationality, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related conditions, gender identity or expression, transgender status, sexual orientation, marital, civil union, or domestic partnership status, familial or caregiver status, disability, genetic information, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, military or veteran status, liability for military service, hair texture or protective hairstyle, arrest or conviction record consistent with applicable law, unemployment status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. This commitment covers every part of employment, including hiring, job assignment, compensation, discipline, benefits, and training.

Accommodations: If you need an accommodation to apply or interview, tell us at [email protected]. Your request is confidential and will not affect how we evaluate you. Please reach out before your first interview so we can plan with you.

Recruiting & Staffing Agencies: Osmo does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Please do not send resumes to Osmo employees or any Osmo address. Osmo is not responsible for fees on unsolicited submissions unless the Talent Acquisition team has engaged you directly in writing.

Work authorization: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Each posting states whether visa sponsorship for employment is available for that role. All new hires must complete identity and employment eligibility verification (Form I-9) after an offer is accepted.