New Product Development Specialist

Role Overview

This position is with FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.) and is based in Pune District, Maharashtra, India. The role is onsite and sits within the Food and Beverage Retail and Personal Care Product Manufacturing space.

What You Will Do

• Own the new product development direction and build a clear roadmap for NPD initiatives.
• Drive projects from concept to commercial launch, including idea generation, formulation, sampling, packaging, shelf-life checks, regulatory alignment, and launch preparation.
• Monitor schedules and budgets, share progress updates, and surface risks early.
• Study market movements, consumer insights, and demand patterns to spot opportunities for new launches.
• Compare competitor offerings and identify market gaps to guide product decisions.
• Work on supplier and manufacturing partnerships for development and production.
• Support packaging innovation, choice of materials, and design improvements.
• Coordinate with ingredient vendors and co-manufacturers to create and refine formulations.
• Negotiate commercial terms such as pricing, margins, credit terms, and delivery timelines.
• Strengthen supplier relationships to support steady supply and continuous innovation.
• Manage regulatory checks, testing, and quality validation across development stages.
• Handle sensory reviews, shelf-life studies, quality checks, and pilot production runs.
• Ensure products meet safety and compliance requirements.
• Set and follow quality control standards during development and manufacturing.
• Coordinate product testing through external CROs and manage related payments.
• Partner with marketing and sales on go-to-market plans, positioning, and pricing.
• Track post-launch performance, gather customer feedback, and support product improvements.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, packaging, legal, and other stakeholders to create new concepts and prototypes.
• Maintain smooth interdepartmental communication to keep projects moving successfully.
• Support budgeting and cost control while protecting product quality and performance.
• Lead quality assurance efforts to ensure products meet required safety and quality standards.
• Handle sourcing-related work, including inventory norms, stock turns, and new store indenting.
• Work with sales and retail operations teams to improve channel productivity and store performance.

What We Are Looking For

• At least 4 years of experience in product development or a closely related function.
• Hands-on experience in cosmetics or skincare is mandatory.
• Strong project management capability, including the ability to run multiple initiatives at the same time.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, along with strong people skills.
• Client-facing experience with a demonstrated ability to build long-term relationships.
• Good analytical thinking and the ability to use data for decisions.
• Strong eye for detail, with a focus on quality and innovation.
• Comfort with project management tools and related software.

Additional Information

Industry exposure for this role includes Food and Beverage Retail as well as Personal Care Product Manufacturing.