Senior Product Manager

Job Title: Senior Manager New Product Development (NPD)

Location: Kolkata

Reports To: Head of Innovation

Job Summary

This role will drive end-to-end New Product Development from concept to launch, with a strong focus on product strategy, consumer insights, brand alignment, packaging innovation, and go-to market execution. The role will act as a bridge between marketing, packaging, supply chain, regulatory, and external formulation partners to deliver differentiated, market-ready products. Formulation execution will be managed via internal/external R&D partners and not owned hands on by this role.

Key Responsibilities

NPD Strategy & Product Ownership

Own the overall NPD roadmap, translating brand vision, consumer insights, and market opportunities into compelling product concepts.

Lead product ideation, concept development, positioning, and differentiation, ensuring strong brand and commercial fit.

Define product briefs, claims frameworks, and success metrics in collaboration with marketing and business teams.

Act as the single point of accountability for products from concept to commercialization.

Cross-Functional & Project Management

Drive the end-to-end NPD lifecycle, ensuring timely execution across functions and external partners.

Collaborate closely with marketing, packaging, regulatory, supply chain, finance, and external formulation labs to ensure seamless product development and launch readiness.

Ensure alignment between product concept, packaging, claims, costing, and launch timelines.

Packaging & Design Innovation

Packaging strategy and development, including material selection, structure, sustainability, cost optimization, and visual differentiation.

Partner with design agencies and vendors to deliver packaging that enhances brand storytelling, shelf impact, and consumer experience.

Stay updated on sustainable packaging trends and innovations, ensuring compliance and scalability.

Market, Consumer & Competitive Insights

Drive market and consumer research to identify white spaces, trends, and unmet needs.

Monitor competitive launches and industry trends to inform innovation and renovation pipelines.

Translate insights into clear product propositions and launch narratives.

Financial & Commercial Alignment

Build and evaluate business cases for new products, including pricing, margins, and cost structures.

Partner with finance and procurement on cost optimization, vendor negotiations, and profitability goals.

Support leadership with data-backed recommendations on portfolio prioritization.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelors or Masters degree in Business, Marketing, Packaging, Cosmetic Science, or a related field.

8+ years of experience in NPD / product management within beauty, personal care, or FMCG.

Strong exposure to product commercialization, packaging development, and cross functional project leadership.

Experience working with external formulation partners or R&D teams (hands-on formulation not required).

Proven success in launching products at scale.

Key Competencies

Strong product mindset with consumer-first thinking

Excellent stakeholder and vendor management skills

Strategic yet execution-focused

Strong communication and decision-making abilities

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment