Product Developer
Location: Central London
Type: Full-time | Permanent
About Us
Our client are a well-established, design-led company specialising in beauty, home fragrance, and home-care products. They work with leading retailers and brands to create innovative, high-quality private-label ranges—from candles and diffusers to toiletries, cosmetics, gift sets, and home-care essentials.
Their team prides itself on creativity, collaboration, and innovation, managing every step of the product journey—from the first spark of an idea to the finished product. They are now looking for an experienced Product Developer to join their growing team and help the, bring more exciting products to life.
What You’ll Do
Product Development
1. Lead the product development journey from concept to final product across beauty and home fragrance categories.
2. Collaborate closely with design and commercial teams to turn creative ideas into commercially viable products.
3. Oversee prototypes, lab dips, and production samples, ensuring products meet the highest standards in quality, aesthetics, and functionality.
Supplier & Factory Relationships
4. Build and maintain strong partnerships with international suppliers and factories, sourcing fragrances, wax blends, formulations, packaging, and components.
5. Manage costs, lead times, MOQs, and production requirements to hit business targets.
6. Ensure all materials and products comply with technical, regulatory, and ethical standards.
Project Management
7. Take ownership of the product development critical path, keeping projects on track.
8. Coordinate sampling, approvals, and production timelines, keeping both internal teams and external partners informed.
9. Anticipate potential risks and provide practical solutions to keep projects moving smoothly.
Quality, Compliance & Sustainability
10. Work closely with quality and technical teams to ensure products meet safety, compliance, and regulatory standards.
11. Approve components, formulations, fragrances, packaging, and finished samples.
12. Support ethical and sustainable sourcing initiatives aligned with our values.
Commercial Responsibilities
13. Assist with cost negotiations and margin management.
14. Work with clients and retail partners to develop tailored private-label ranges.
15. Keep up-to-date with market trends, competitor activity, and category innovations to help guide product direction.
What you will have
16. 10+ years’ experience in beauty, home fragrance, home-care, or cosmetics product development (brand, supplier, or retailer experience).
17. Solid knowledge of raw materials, basic formulations, fragrance development, packaging, and manufacturing processes.
18. Confident communicator with experience managing international suppliers.
19. Highly organised, with strong project and critical-path management skills.
20. Detail-oriented and familiar with QA, testing, and compliance procedures.
21. Commercially aware and proactive, with a solutions-focused approach.
About You
22. Creative and curious, with a real passion for beauty and home fragrance.
23. Collaborative and approachable, able to build strong relationships across teams and suppliers.
24. Reliable, detail-focused, and committed to delivering excellent products.
25. Positive, adaptable, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.