Product Development Manager

Vida is Life, a proudly South African hair care brand, is seeking an experienced Product Development Manager to drive the creation and enhancement of consumer products from concept to commercialisation. In this pivotal, hybrid Johannesburg-based, role you will assist management with product strategies and collaborate internally across Marketing, Sales, Finance, R&D, and Supply Chain. Externally, you will partner with contract manufacturers and packaging suppliers to deliver the innovative, high-quality products driving our business growth.

Minimum Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Product Development, or a related field.
• Professional certification in Project Management (e.g., PMP or equivalent).
• 5 - 8 years’ experience in product development, with a functional background in the Consumer-Packaged Goods and/or FMCG industries.
• Proven track record in steering the full Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process, from initial R&D conceptualisation through to industrial scale-up and market launch.
• Adept at leading technical workstreams and driving synergy between R&D, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Marketing in high-pressure environments.

Key Technical Skills

• Expert-level data synthesis, utilising advanced statistical tools to interpret complex market research, consumer data, and SKU performance metrics.
• Advanced proficiency in technical project management, overseeing the full lifecycle from formulation stability testing to manufacturing scale-up.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for collaborating with cross-functional teams and presenting to stakeholders.
• Systematic approach to technical troubleshooting, i.e., resolving formulation stability, packaging compatibility, or manufacturing bottlenecks.