Senior Product Development Manager

Our client is a founder-led prestige beauty brand with a strong direct-to-consumer presence across the UK and Europe. Known for creating high-quality beauty products that balance innovation with commercial success, the business is entering an exciting period of growth and is looking to strengthen its product development function. Product excellence sits at the heart of the organisation, with a focus on building long-term category-leading products that resonate with consumers.

Reporting directly to the Founder & CEO, the Senior Product Development Manager will take ownership of the innovation pipeline and lead the end-to-end development of new products across multiple colour cosmetic categories. Working within an entrepreneurial environment, this role combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution and offers significant influence over future product direction. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with internal teams and global suppliers to develop products that drive growth and commercial performance.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end development of new beauty products from concept through to launch
• Drive a continuous pipeline of commercially relevant innovation
• Identify product opportunities through consumer insights, market trends, competitor activity and sales performance
• Manage relationships with global manufacturing and supplier partners
• Brief suppliers on formulation and packaging development requirements
• Evaluate product submissions and provide feedback throughout the development process
• Oversee development timelines to ensure successful and timely launches
• Negotiate product costings and support margin optimisation initiatives
• Present product concepts and development updates to senior stakeholders
• Partner with Marketing, Commercial, Regulatory and Operations teams to deliver successful launches
• Support and develop members of the product development team
• Travel internationally when required to meet suppliers and support innovation projects

Requirements:

• Strong experience in cosmetic product development, preferably colour cosmetics, within either a brand or supplier environment
• Proven track record of bringing commercially successful beauty products to market
• Excellent understanding of cosmetic formulations and product performance
• Ability to assess technical submissions and provide constructive feedback
• Experience managing supplier relationships and product development projects
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to use consumer insights and market data to inform decisions
• Experience negotiating product costs and supporting profitability objectives
• Knowledge of the full product development lifecycle from concept to launch
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience leading, mentoring or managing team members
• Ability to thrive within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial business environment
• Highly organised with excellent project management skills
• Passion for beauty innovation and consumer-led product development

To speak with one of our consultants about this position please ‘Apply Now’.