About this role
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 RoleOsmo 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.
For all Full-Time Employees, compensation is just one component of Osmo’s total rewards approach, which is designed to support the well-being, growth, and long-term success of our team members. Depending on the role, this may include base salary or contract-based pay, along with access to health, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match; flexible paid time off and company holidays; and equity or incentive compensation for eligible roles. Actual compensation will vary based on factors such as experience, skills, location, internal equity, and other relevant business considerations. Osmo regularly reviews pay ranges and compensation structures to ensure they remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with current market data.
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.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire