Research Associate, Sensory Science

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. This foundational understanding of smell's impact has directly informed the development of our latest innovation: Generation.

Generation is a new kind of fragrance house powered by Olfactory Intelligence (OI) to blend AI with world-class perfumery. It will help brands create emotionally resonant scents faster, more accessibly, and with greater creative clarity. Our technology allows us to explore vast scent possibilities, discover novel ingredients, and design fragrances informed by both data and artistry.

Beyond fragrance, Olfactory Intelligence has applications across industries including 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. Osmo is headquartered in New York, NY, with a new facility in New Jersey, and offices in Somerville, MA.

Osmo is seeking a meticulous and insightful Research Associate with expertise in fragrance evaluation to join our expanding Performance & Quality team. In this role, you will be central to our team’s core mission: providing high-quality olfactory data to characterize the behavior of fragrance compounds in various matrices, measure the evolution of their odor profiles over time, and evaluate their stability under diverse environmental conditions.

The ideal candidate is an analytical thinker with a highly developed olfactory sense and a methodical approach to sensory evaluation. You will be a key contributor to our research, providing the critical sensory data and interpretation that fuels our Olfactory Intelligence, ingredient discovery, and fragrance development pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and organize fragrance samples in various application bases (e.g., laundry, personal care, home care) for sensory testing and instrumental analysis.

• Investigate the behavior of fragrance molecules by managing stability studies using equipment such as stability ovens, environmental chambers, and laundry machines.

• Design, coordinate, and execute sensory panels for ingredients and fragrance formulations.

• Act as a key panelist and proctor for sensory evaluations, contributing to high-quality, objective assessments of fragrance performance, character development, and stability over time.

• Provide critical olfactory feedback for the raw material quality control pipeline, assisting in the sensory assessment of incoming materials.

• Assist in the preliminary analysis and interpretation of sensory data, helping to generate reports on ingredient performance and stability.

• Collaborate closely with perfumery, synthetic chemistry, and data science teams, translating sensory findings into clear, concise reports and contributing to cross-functional research projects.

Required Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Food Science, or a related scientific field.

• Demonstrated proficiency in sensory evaluation and a highly developed, reliable olfactory sense. Candidates will be required to pass a sensory acuity screening.

• Strong foundational knowledge of chemistry and the principles of sensory evaluation, particularly as they apply to fragrance and aroma compounds.

• Hands-on experience in a research or product development laboratory setting, with proven skills in precise sample preparation and meticulous record-keeping.

• Strong organizational skills and a keen eye for detail, with the ability to manage complex experimental workflows and concurrent projects.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to articulate nuanced sensory perceptions and collaborate effectively across multiple disciplines.

• A proactive, action-oriented mindset that combines scientific curiosity with the drive to deliver high-quality, impactful results in a fast-paced environment.

Ways to Stand Out

• Deep knowledge of perfumery, classes of aroma chemicals, and their characteristic behaviors in different product applications.

• Knowledge of human experiment design.

• Hands-on experience with SQL/Python.

• A genuine passion for scent and a nuanced understanding of the language of olfaction.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, and more.

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. All employment decisions and responsibilities are determined based on current ability and your ability to grow, without regard to race, color, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, marital status, physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Osmo does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Osmo or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by the Osmo Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Osmo and Osmo will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.