Tupperware - Product Sourcing & Development Manager - Kitchenware/Cookware Products

Role Purpose:

The Product Sourcing & Development Manager will be responsible for developing and managing a strong Indian manufacturing and sourcing ecosystem for stainless steel products, glassware, kitchenware, and kitchen appliances.

The role will identify, evaluate, onboard, and develop strategic manufacturing partners, while working closely with R&D, Design, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Marketing teams to develop and commercialize products that meet the company's requirements for quality, innovation, cost, and speed to market.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Development:

• Identify and develop capable Indian manufacturers and strategic sourcing partners across stainless steel, glassware, kitchenware, and kitchen appliances.
• Build and maintain a robust supplier network aligned with product and business requirements.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities including manufacturing technology, capacity, quality systems, innovation, compliance, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead supplier onboarding, qualification, development, and performance management.
• Develop alternate and multiple sourcing options to improve supply continuity and competitiveness.
• Build long-term strategic partnerships with key Indian manufacturers.
• Identify opportunities for localization and develop suppliers to support India and potential global sourcing requirements.
• Conduct supplier visits, capability assessments, audits, and commercial evaluations.
• Monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement across cost, quality, delivery, and service.

Product Development & Commercialization:

• Partner with R&D and Design teams to develop products from concept through commercialization.
• Work with suppliers on product specifications, materials, prototypes, samples, tooling, trials, testing, and production readiness.
• Ensure products meet defined quality, technical, regulatory, cost, and timeline requirements.
• Evaluate manufacturing feasibility and provide supplier inputs during the product design stage.
• Drive localization and development of products with Indian manufacturing partners.
• Coordinate product trials, modifications, approvals, pilot production, and scale-up.
• Ensure timely transition of products from development to commercial production.

RFQ, Costing & Commercial Negotiation:

• Lead the end-to-end RFQ process, including supplier identification, quotation analysis, benchmarking, sampling, and final supplier selection.
• Develop product cost estimates and should-cost models in collaboration with Finance and R&D.
• Negotiate pricing, MOQ, tooling and mould costs, payment terms, lead times, capacity, packaging, and other commercial terms.
• Benchmark supplier pricing and manufacturing costs to ensure competitive sourcing.
• Drive cost reduction and value-engineering initiatives without compromising quality or consumer value.
• Identify opportunities to optimize material usage, product design, manufacturing processes, packaging, and logistics.

Category & Market Development:

• Track consumer trends, competitor activity, market developments, and emerging technologies across relevant categories.
• Identify product gaps and new business opportunities.
• Support category and portfolio planning through market and supplier insights.
• Benchmark competing products on specifications, materials, functionality, quality, pricing, and sourcing.
• Identify new Indian manufacturing capabilities, technologies, and suppliers that can support future product development.

Supply Chain & Quality:

• Work closely with Supply Chain to align supplier capacity, production planning, lead times, and launch requirements.
• Identify potential supply risks and develop alternate sourcing and contingency plans.
• Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure supplier and product compliance with standards and applicable requirements.
• Support supplier audits, quality improvement initiatives, corrective actions, and performance reviews.
• Ensure suppliers consistently meet agreed quality, delivery, capacity, and service levels.

Cost & Commercial Management:

• Partner with Finance and Category teams on product costing, pricing, margin, and business cases.
• Support category-level P&L and profitability objectives.
• Drive cost optimization, value engineering, localization, and supplier productivity initiatives.
• Evaluate the commercial impact of sourcing, material, design, tooling, and manufacturing decisions.
• Ensure new products meet defined target costs and margin expectations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with R&D, Design, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, Sales, E-commerce, and Global teams.
• Provide sourcing and manufacturing inputs during product development and portfolio planning.
• Support Marketing, Sales, and E-commerce with product specifications, competitive insights, and product information.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful product development and launch.
• Represent sourcing and supplier requirements in product and business reviews.

Candidate Profile:

• 8 - 15 years of relevant experience in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Supplier Development, Product Development, or Category Management.
• Strong experience in identifying, developing, and managing Indian manufacturers/OEMs/ODM partners.
• Experience in one or more of the following categories is preferred: stainless steel, cookware, glassware, kitchenware, consumer durables, or kitchen appliances.
• Strong understanding of Indian manufacturing processes, supplier capabilities, product costing, tooling, quality, and commercialization.
• Proven experience in RFQs, supplier negotiations, product development, sampling, trials, and supplier onboarding.
• Strong commercial understanding with exposure to costing, margins, P&L, and value engineering.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively within India for supplier identification, development, audits, and product development.

Key Success Measures:

• Development and onboarding of strategic Indian manufacturing partners.
• Successful localization and commercialization of products.
• Competitive product costing and improved category margins.
• Successful and timely NPD launches.
• Supplier quality, delivery, capacity, and service performance.
• Cost savings and value-engineering achievements.
• Development of a scalable and reliable Indian supplier ecosystem.
• Reduction of sourcing risk through alternate and multiple supplier development.