Position: Head of Development – Wellbeing & Bodycare
Location: East Anglia – hybrid home/office working available
Package: Competitive salary, bonus & benefits
Our client is a leading supplier of innovative Well-being & Bodycare products in the UK, North America, Europe, and Australasian markets. They offer a complete range of products including Skincare, Haircare, Bath & Body, Fine Fragrance and Home Fragrance.
This is a great time to join the group as it has ambitious plans and a strategy to deliver fast growth internationally. They are looking to hire a dynamic Head of Development (Director Designate) to lead their product development team on this journey. As Head of Development, you will play a key role in shaping the future of wellbeing innovation and creating exceptional products for its customers.
Does this sound like you, are you looking for the next step or the next challenge? … get in touch and let’s talk.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the development team by creating comprehensive action plans in collaboration with various departments, ensuring alignment with project objectives, timelines, and budgets.
- Serve as the gatekeeper for adherence to the correct product development process, maintaining project momentum and tracking progress against agreed timelines.
- Manage and lead various tasks including project documentation, query handling, scheduling, and risk management, fostering effective communication and collaboration across internal teams and suppliers.
- Oversee and prioritise the design and artwork briefs for product ranges, from concept to post-launch, ensuring alignment with brand vision and customer expectations.
- Drive fragrance and formulation management, working closely with technical teams to ensure timely and cost-effective development of formulations.
- Monitor and support costing for new product ranges throughout the development process, from concept to post-production, ensuring profitability and adherence to budgetary constraints.
- Coordinate the creation and maintenance of Bills of Materials/product specifications for all new products, including product fill weight, packaging details, and pricing information.
- Facilitate new product development meetings, manage meeting minutes, and follow up on action items to support the product development process.
- Conduct brand positioning and market reviews, summarising results and providing actionable insights to inform strategic decision-making.
- Lead and coordinate packaging and sample development activities, ensuring alignment with brand standards and quality requirements.
- Drive each project and its associated new products through development and production phases efficiently and effectively, optimising resources and minimising time to market.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners.
- Experience in product development within the Home & Beauty industry, with a strong understanding of market trends and consumer preferences.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Attention to detail with a focus on accuracy and quality assurance.
- Strong leadership and motivational skills, with a proven track record of leading teams to achieve results.
- Experience in artwork checking and providing constructive feedback.
- Ability to analyse quantitative data and generate actionable insights to drive business performance.
- General people management skills with a focus on fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
- Familiarity with home and beauty manufacturing processes and quality standards.
