JOB TITLE:
New Product Development Manager
REPORTS TO:
Sales & Marketing Manager
DEPARTMENT:
Technical
RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Product Development Chemists (shared responsibility)
JOB PURPOSE:
· Highly creative, responsible for the development of new, innovative, commercially viable, and sustainable products to support the long-term business development strategy.
· Lead the innovation pipeline through creative thinking, customer requests, external partnerships, joint ventures, or university research.
· Support business development by analyzing current trends and converting opportunities into commercial prospects through customer interaction, understanding their applications, and providing solutions.
· Manage relationships with commercial stakeholders across the wider business.
KEY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:
Product Development
· Collaborate with Business Managers and the Sales & Marketing Manager to develop the product development strategy.
· Coordinate with central R&D and global R&D teams.
· Develop long-term innovation plans aligned with business growth.
· Build strong technical relationships with potential customers and suppliers.
· Support technical demands from customers and work with them to meet their requirements.
· Accompany Sales & Marketing Managers on customer visits to provide technical information and discuss project performance.
· Assist the Sales team with technical data for new products.
· Develop new products to access new markets.
· Balance application performance with product cost effectively.
· Prepare for and attend customer trials and meetings.
· Review documents supporting sales, manufacturing, and quality activities.
· Test new products to understand market response.
· Evaluate raw materials to support development and innovation.
· Develop test methods for products to transfer to the quality team.
· Manage product development from concept through to scale-up and production trials.
Team Leadership
· Share leadership of the Product Development team, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
· Enhance team performance through recruitment, training, appraisals, and personal development.
· Promote productive engagement across business functions and sites.
· Perform additional tasks as required by the company.
QUALIFICATIONS:
· Bachelor’s degree in a physical science (e.g., chemistry, materials science, polymer science, physics, chemical engineering).
· Proven experience in developing and delivering an innovation pipeline.
· Hands-on approach to development projects.
· Experience working with external partners such as trade associations, universities, and suppliers.
· Knowledge of relevant markets and trends.
· Understanding of production processes relevant to the business.
· Formulation management skills.
· Ability to present product benefits effectively to customers.
· Experience in customer-facing roles and stakeholder management.
· Knowledge of raw materials and formulations.
· High literacy and numeracy skills, including proficiency in Excel.
· Strong time management, interpersonal skills, and commercial awareness.
· Curious, inquisitive, and able to build good working relationships.
KEY COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Uphold the company’s core values: Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.
· Operate within the company’s Limits of Authority.
· Engage in continuous improvement initiatives.
· Maintain high standards of housekeeping and safety.
· Follow health, safety, quality, environmental, and PPE policies, recognizing personal and collective responsibilities.
#J-18808-Ljbffr