Product Development Manager - Beauty

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

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.