Job Title: Senior Manager New Product Development (NPD)
Location: Kolkata
Reports To: Head of Innovation
Job Summary
This role will drive end-to-end New Product Development from concept to launch, with a strong focus on product strategy, consumer insights, brand alignment, packaging innovation, and go-to-market execution. The role will act as a bridge between marketing, packaging, supply chain, regulatory, and external formulation partners to deliver differentiated, market-ready products. Formulation execution will be managed via internal/external R&D partners and not owned hands-on by this role.
Key Responsibilities
NPD Strategy & Product Ownership
- Own the overall NPD roadmap, translating brand vision, consumer insights, and market opportunities into compelling product concepts.
- Lead product ideation, concept development, positioning, and differentiation, ensuring strong brand and commercial fit.
- Define product briefs, claims frameworks, and success metrics in collaboration with marketing and business teams.
- Act as the single point of accountability for products from concept to commercialization.
Cross-Functional & Project Management
- Drive the end-to-end NPD lifecycle, ensuring timely execution across functions and external partners.
- Collaborate closely with marketing, packaging, regulatory, supply chain, finance, and external formulation labs to ensure seamless product development and launch readiness.
- Own project plans, timelines, and critical milestones; proactively flag and mitigate risks.
- Ensure alignment between product concept, packaging, claims, costing, and launch timelines.
Packaging & Design Innovation
- Packaging strategy and development, including material selection, structure, sustainability, cost optimization, and visual differentiation.
- Partner with design agencies and vendors to deliver packaging that enhances brand storytelling, shelf impact, and consumer experience.
- Stay updated on sustainable packaging trends and innovations, ensuring compliance and scalability.
Market, Consumer & Competitive Insights
- Drive market and consumer research to identify white spaces, trends, and unmet needs.
- Monitor competitive launches and industry trends to inform innovation and renovation pipelines.
- Translate insights into clear product propositions and launch narratives.
Regulatory, Quality & Launch Readiness
- Work closely with regulatory and compliance teams to ensure claims substantiation, packaging compliance, and documentation readiness.
- Coordinate product testing, certifications, and approvals through internal teams and external partners.
- Ensure products are fully launch-ready across channels.
Financial & Commercial Alignment
- Build and evaluate business cases for new products, including pricing, margins, and cost structures.
- Partner with finance and procurement on cost optimization, vendor negotiations, and profitability goals.
- Support leadership with data-backed recommendations on portfolio prioritization.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Marketing, Packaging, Cosmetic Science, or a related field.
- 8+ years of experience in NPD / product management within beauty, personal care, or FMCG.
- Strong exposure to product commercialization, packaging development, and cross-functional project leadership.
- Experience working with external formulation partners or R&D teams (hands-on formulation not required).
- Proven success in launching products at scale.
Key Competencies
- Strong product mindset with consumer-first thinking
- Excellent stakeholder and vendor management skills
- Strategic yet execution-focused
- Strong communication and decision-making abilities
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment
