New Product Development Manager (FMCG)
UK | Hybrid, Bournemouth | £35,000-£45,000 OTE | Immediate start
We're looking for a New Product Development Manager to define, launch and grow Zest's own-brand range of home appliance cleaning and maintenance products. This is a hands-on role with influence and the opportunity to build your career with our brand growth. You'll have the space to own New Product Development, backed by a Founder-led team that’s moving fast!
About Zest Plan
We’re specialists in home appliance care with 20 years of experience and a community of 40,000 UK-based customers. We build customer trust and value through expert advice and proactive appliance maintenance services, repairs and replacements.
The role
Our New Product Development Manager (FMCG) will lead Zest's own-brand range of home appliance cleaning and maintenance products. This role leads on what's in the range, how it's sourced and made, and how the range launches and grows. The aim is to offer our customers a proactive care product range that serves appliance health and adds value to our membership offering.
You'll report to our Commercial Director and work closely with our Marketing and Operations Leads. This role has direct input into how we launch and grow FMCG products to achieve a premium customer experience.
What you will own
- Our own-brand range; the maintenance-chemicals line first and the cleaning range as it launches. You will lead on product selection, using data and research to identify which products add most value for customers’ appliance maintenance and care.
- Manage the entire supply chain: formulation, contract manufacturing, packaging, quality, and supply reliability.
- Grow the range aligned with customers’ appliance needs, using data and insights to make commercial product selection and expansion decisions. The expansion potential is from appliance maintenance into full home cleaning, and beyond.
- Connect the range to the customer membership platform's appliance maintenance logic. All products should clearly map to the maintenance schedules and appliance-care guidance we give customers. The range should look, feel and act as an extension of the proactive care promise, not as a bolt-on shop.
- Achieve and maintain high product quality and claim integrity. Every claim made about an own-brand product must be true and must trace to proven product performance.
- Manage the commercial shape of the range including cost, pricing, and margin. This should map to the platform's discipline that own-brand sales must not bias the advice we give about repair, replacement, or maintenance.
What will help you be successful in this role
- A product range-management or own-label background, ideally in household consumables, cleaning, or a comparable own-brand FMCG range.
- Experience taking a product range from sourcing through to shelf, including formulation and contract manufacturing, packaging, quality, and supply.
- Commercial product awareness with the ability to judge what should be in a range and why, not just how to sell it.
- Comfort working at the forefront of both Commercial and Product sales and operations.
- Growth mindset and a desire to evolve skillset and thinking with the range as it migrates from a sourcing-led to a definition-led discipline.
- Impactful communication that gives clarity and confidence to customers, supply chain partners and team-mates.
Benefits
We care about our team as much as we do about our customer community. Joining Zest gives you access to:
- Flexible + hybrid working
- Focused learning + development plan with mentoring from our Directors
- 24 days annual leave (+ up to 5 days extra with long service)
- Performance-related bonus scheme
- Medical health cash plan + mental health support
- A Zest-designed modern office that’s 5 mins walk to West Cliff Beach
- Zest Bites kitchen with onsite chef, subsidised meals + free refreshments including Pearhaus speciality beans coffee machine
- Zest apparel drops
- Social calendar with cultural, foodie + experiential events
Apply now
If you’re an experienced New Product Development Manager looking to grow your career and own a new product category in a growing business, we’d love to hear from you.
Come and join the Zest place to work!
