NPD Manager

Sharp & Carter; New South Wales; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sharp & Carter is seeking an NPD Manager to lead a small, high-performing product development team. You will coordinate end-to-end development across retailer and branded portfolios, with a focus on range reviews, renovation and lifecycle management.

The role sits at the intersection of product, sales and commercial delivery, emphasising fast turnaround and strong stakeholder collaboration to deliver customer-led solutions in a dynamic market.

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG product development or commercial product roles.
• Exposure to retail-facing product development and range reviews.
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, including renovation/refurbishment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a small product development team, with potential for growth.
• Oversee end-to-end product development across retailer and branded portfolios.
• Drive range reviews, product updates and lifecycle management initiatives.
• Partner with sales and commercial teams to deliver customer-led solutions.
• Coordinate fast-paced project delivery cycles within stage-gate processes.
• Manage refurbishments including packaging updates and labeling changes.
• Support limited formulation work with a focus on commercial outcomes.
• Handle multiple concurrent projects with tight turnaround timelines.
• Build cross-functional relationships with trading, procurement and supply chain.

Skills

FMCG product development

category management

retail-facing product development

lifecycle management

renovation and refurbishment

leadership能力

Job description

About the Company

Our client is a well-established FMCG business with a strong presence across branded and private label products. The organisation operates in a fast-paced, customer-led environment with a strong focus on delivering high-quality, commercially viable product solutions to retail partners.

Following an internal restructure, a new leadership opportunity has been created within the Product Development function to support continued growth and capability uplift across the team.

About the Role

The NPD Manager will take ownership of a small but high-performing team, leading end-to-end coordination of product development activities across retailer and branded portfolios.

This role sits at the intersection of product, sales, and commercial delivery, with a strong emphasis on range management, product renovation, and delivering fast turnaround outcomes in a highly responsive market.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading, mentoring, and developing a small product development team, with scope for future growth
• Managing end-to-end product development and renovation activities across multiple customer portfolios
• Driving range reviews, product updates, and lifecycle management initiatives
• Partnering closely with sales and commercial teams to deliver customer-led solutions
• Coordinating fast-paced project delivery cycles within structured stage-gate processes
• Overseeing product refurbishment activities including packaging updates, labelling changes, and specification amendments
• Supporting limited formulation work where required, with a strong focus on commercial outcomes
• Managing multiple concurrent projects with tight turnaround timelines
• Leveraging project management systems to track delivery and priorities
• Building strong cross-functional relationships across trading, procurement, and supply chain functions
• Supporting the transition toward a more innovation-led product development pipeline

This is a high-visibility leadership role suited to someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, can bring structure to complexity, and enjoys working closely with commercial stakeholders to deliver outcomes at pace.

Skills & Experience

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Strong experience in FMCG product development, category management, or commercial product roles
• Proven exposure to retail-facing product development and range reviews
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, including renovation and refurbishment activities
• Experience working in fast-paced, customer-driven environments with short turnaround cycles
• Demonstrated leadership capability or readiness to step into a team leadership role
• Strong commercial acumen with an understanding of category, trading, and supply chain dynamics
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, particularly with sales and retail partners
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight timelines
• Experience with structured project management tools and stage-gate processes