About Katy Sue Designs
For over 30 years, Katy Sue Designs has been creating award-winning products for creative people around the world. From cake decorating and papercraft to mixed media and home décor, we design and manufacture innovative craft products that are sold across retail, wholesale, shopping TV, e-commerce, and international markets.
Based in South Shields, all our product development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, warehousing, and TV studio facilities are located on one site. We are proud to manufacture in the UK and export to over 50 countries worldwide.
Following continued growth across the Katy Sue Designs and Cosmic Shimmer brands, we are looking for an organised and commercially aware individual to join the business in a newly created NPD & Launch Manager role.
Please note that we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role.
The Role
Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the wider product, marketing, sales, and production teams, the NPD & Launch Manager will coordinate the successful delivery and launch of new products across multiple sales channels including Shopping TV, wholesale, e-commerce, influencers, and international distributors.
The strategic product direction, range planning, and creative vision for new product development remains led by the CEO and internal creative teams. The purpose of this role is to ensure products more efficiently, accurately, and on time from approved concept through to commercially ready launch.
This is not a product design role, but a commercially focused launch and coordination role responsible for ensuring the successful execution of the company’s product pipeline.
As a growing founder-led business, this role offers the opportunity to work closely with senior decision makers and play a highly visible part in bringing new product launches to market across multiple brands and sales channels.
The role would suit someone who enjoys a fast-moving environment where multiple product launches are being developed simultaneously throughout the year.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate the launch process for new products across the Katy Sue Designs and Cosmic Shimmer brands.
- Maintain launch schedules, timelines, and project tracking across multiple simultaneous launches.
- Ensure products are fully prepared for launch across Shopping TV, wholesale, export, and e-commerce channels.
- Coordinate and prepare Shopping TV proposals, specification cards, pricing documents, launch materials, and related product information.
- Ensure all supporting assets including photography, samples, videos, descriptions, and marketing collateral are completed on schedule.
- Coordinate activity and communication between product development, graphics, marketing, production, warehouse, sales, and external creative partners.
- Manage timelines and briefing processes for influencers, demonstrators, artists, and external designers.
- Set up and maintain accurate product information, specifications, Bills of Materials, pricing, and launch documentation.
- Review prototypes, samples, and launch materials for accuracy and completeness.
- Identify delays, bottlenecks, or risks and proactively drive solutions.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Experience within product development, project management, launch coordination, marketing, or commercial support roles.
- Experience coordinating product launches across multiple sales channels.
- Understanding of product development or manufacturing processes.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Commercial awareness and confidence working with pricing and product information.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Proactive and solutions-focused approach.
- Comfortable working within a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and deadlines.
Desirable
- Experience within FMCG, consumer goods, or creative industries.
- Experience working with Shopping TV, wholesale customers, or influencer marketing.
We are looking for someone who:
- Thrives on organisation and keeping projects moving forward.
- Enjoys coordinating complex launches involving multiple departments and deadlines.
- Is proactive and naturally follows projects through to completion.
- Brings calmness, accountability, and momentum to a busy environment.
- Enjoys problem solving and identifying practical solutions.
- Takes pride in delivering polished, commercially ready product launches.
Additional Information
- Full-time, permanent role.
- Based on-site in South Shields.
- 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
- Competitive salary based on experience.
- Opportunities for progression.
- Staff discount and on-site parking available.
- Reports to: CEO
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- South Shields NE33 1RL: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Do you currently live locally and can easily commute?
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
