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.

• Own project plans, timelines, and critical milestones; proactively flag and mitigate risks.

• 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

• Bachelor’s or Master’s 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