Product Development Manager
RecruitMyMom Elsiesrivier, Western Cape, South Africa · ZAR 540K–ZAR 600K/yr
Staffing and Recruiting · 11-50 employees
About the role
The Product Development Manager leads the end-to-end new product development pipeline, coordinating between customers, suppliers, and internal departments. They are responsible for managing project timelines, product costings, and ensuring successful commercial launches within the FMCG sector.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must hold a relevant degree or diploma and possess at least 4 years of professional experience in product development. A strong background in the FMCG sector with proven capability in managing the full product lifecycle and financial costing is required.
Benefits
Full description
Following an internal promotion, an opportunity has become available within an innovation team for an experienced Product Development Manager. Operating on a 40-hour work week from the office in Cape Town, this permanent position reports directly to the Head of Innovation. The company focuses on developing personal care, beauty, and FMCG products across skincare, haircare, body care, and fragrance categories in partnership with leading retail chains and brand owners.
You 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 (including R&D Laboratory, Supply Chain, Quality, and Production), you will ensure that new product concepts progress through feasibility, formulation, packaging sourcing, costing, and pilot production to commercial launch.
Key Responsibilities
- 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
Essential Requirements
- 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
Desirable Requirements
- Direct professional experience in, or detailed technical understanding of, the personal care and beauty industry
Benefits
Benefits and Culture
- 20 days annual leave per annum.
- Interactive, flat team structure offering career development and visible individual impact.
Work Arrangement
- On-site / In office (Cape Town).
Employment Type
- Permanent.
