Product Development Manager - Beauty

In brief

Overview This permanent position is for an experienced Product Development Manager within an innovation team, operating on a 40-hour work week from the office in Cape Town. The role reports directly to the Head of Innovation. The company specializes in developing personal care, beauty, and FMCG products across skincare, haircare, body care, and fragrance categories, partnering with leading retail chains and brand owners. The Product Development Manager will serve as the primary Project Lead across the complete new product development pipeline, acting as a central coordination anchor between customers, packaging suppliers, and internal cross-functional departments (R&D Laboratory, Supply Chain, Quality, and Production) to ensure new product concepts progress from feasibility through to commercial launch. What you will do * Customer Relationship Management: Lead relationships with retail chains and brand owners by presenting market trends, driving new beauty product concepts, and providing post-launch product support and problem-solving. * New Product Project Leadership: Manage multiple concurrent new product development projects from initial customer brief, feasibility assessment, and tender submission through to development, pilot production, and commercial launch. * Formulation & R&D Coordination: Partner closely with the R&D team to brief, review, and progress formulation developments against customer benchmarks, briefs, cost targets, and target timelines. * Packaging Sourcing & Development: Source and develop primary and secondary packaging alongside local and international suppliers, evaluating cost, minimum order quantities MOQs, lead times, functionality, and aesthetic requirements. * Costing & Profitability Management: Compile comprehensive project costings and profitability analyses to ensure developments achieve required profit margins and align with commercial P&L parameters. * Artwork & Compliance Administration: Coordinate artwork development and brief design teams regarding label and carton requirements, obtaining customer sign-offs and maintaining records for internal and external requirements. * Supply Chain Handover & Operational Support: Execute structured development handovers to the Supply Chain department, tracking procurement, first-sample production, and operational execution to resolve practical bottlenecks. Requirements (from the original advert) * An appropriate degree or diploma in business, marketing, finance, science, or a technical discipline. * Minimum of 4 years' relevant professional experience in product development. * Demonstrated track record of success in end-to-end product development within the FMCG sector. * Proven capability in managing the progression of products across the full development lifecycle rather than experience limited to a single discipline. * Strong numerical ability with understanding of product costings, margins, profitability, and P&L reading. * Direct professional experience in, or detailed technical understanding of, the personal care and beauty industry (Desirable). Who should apply This role is suited for an experienced professional with a minimum of 4 years in product development, specifically within the FMCG sector, who can manage the entire product development lifecycle from concept to commercial launch. The ideal candidate will possess strong numerical abilities related to product costings, margins, profitability, and P&L. While not essential, direct experience or a detailed technical understanding of the personal care and beauty industry is highly desirable. They should be capable of leading projects, coordinating diverse internal and external stakeholders, and managing customer relationships. Deadline Not specified Reference Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/product-development-manager-beauty-recruitmymom Source: myjobmag

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• At least 4 years of experience.

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