Senior Product Development Operation Manager – 12 Months FTC.

THE BRAND 

My client is a beautiful Premium Beauty brand, with offices based in London & Central Europe looking for a passionate and adaptable SPDOM to join their positive and hard-working team.

THE ROLE

Reporting via the Operations Consultant to the Chief Operating Officer, the SPDOM will own the end to end product development process, business partnering the NPD, supply chain and commercial teams to bring world class product innovation to customers at pace, on time and with the highest standards of regulatory compliance and project control.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Overall owner for the go-to-market process and project manager for key product change projects in order to bring to market new products, or changes to artwork, packaging or formulations on existing products.  Works within defined timing and project cost targets and ensures full compliance to local regulations in all the countries in which product is to be launched.
• Manage the Stage & gate process
• Working closely with the Head of Creative & Creative Director and supported by the Operations Consultant, develops a project and program management methodology centred on a clearly defined and agreed set of tasks within stages, and corresponding checkpoints and hurdle rates for approval by the  leadership team at Stage & Gate meetings.
• Ensures project scope is clear, supports project specialists in NPD, marketing and sales to deliver project tasks, as well as ensuring project inter-dependencies are clearly understood, identifying risks to costs and timelines, and escalating appropriately to ensure they’re resolved.
• Works with the Head of supply chain to allocate new products to appropriate contract manufacturing partners ensuring optimal balance of cost, complexity and service.  Liaises directly to ensure their tasks within launch projects are delivered on time, and that specifications, manufacturing methodologies etc. are transferred and adhered to.
• Works with marketing to communicate proposed product changes to the commercial team via trade marketing, and collates feedback to inform decisions on plans
• Ensures that all legal obligations, regulatory requirements and guidelines for products are clearly understood and tasks are built into that methodology.
• Ensures the registration of products with appropriate body in each market.
• Maintains expertise in the skincare and cosmetics regulatory environment, particularly in the UK, US and Asia

KEY SKILLS

• 3+ years’ experience in project management and regulatory roles in cosmetics, skincare or similar consumer product manufacturing environment. Degree level academic background in chemistry, cosmetics science or related subject area an advantage
• A highly logical, methodical, structured thinker, with strong data analysis skills and attention to detail
• An ability to adapt and work in a fast paced and ever-changing environment.
• Highly organised and possess excellent time management skills.
• Energetic, engaging, confident and positive, with the ability to build strong relationships across departments