Product Development Manager

Miller Leith; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Technical autonomy

Senior leadership role

Australian manufacturing environment

Job summary

Miller Leith in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking a Product Development Manager to lead formulation, development and commercialisation of new and existing products, with a focus on laundry and household cleaning.

This senior, hands-on role manages projects from concept to first production, driving product renovation, process improvements and technical transfer while partnering with Commercial, Manufacturing, Quality and Procurement teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Formulation Science, Pharmacy or related discipline.
• Experience in FMCG/product development within household/cleaning categories.
• Strong knowledge of surfactants, viscosity, and formulation components.
• Proven scaling from lab to full production with project management.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end formulation and development projects across laundry, household cleaning, personal care and natural health products.
• Manage product scale-up from laboratory and pilot trials through to full production, including technical transfer and first-batch support.
• Drive product renovation, process improvement, cost optimisation and packaging-development initiatives.
• Apply root-cause analysis and experimental design to resolve stability and quality issues.
• Collaborate with internal teams, suppliers, contract manufacturers, testing labs and regulatory stakeholders.

Skills

Formulation science

Project management

Quality control

Scaling processes

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Chemistry/Formulation science degree

Job description

• Lead the development of recognised household, laundry and natural health products
• Own projects from initial formulation through scale-up and commercial production
• Join an established Australian business offering genuine technical influence and autonomy

The Company

Our client is a proudly Australian, family-owned manufacturer with a rich history. The organisation combines scientific expertise, Australian innovation and a strong commitment to quality, safety and natural products. The business develops and manufactures a recognised portfolio of household, laundry, personal care and natural health products.

Benefits

• Lead the development of recognised household, laundry and natural health products
• Own projects from initial formulation through scale-up and commercial production
• Join an established Australian business offering genuine technical influence and autonomy

The Role

The Product Development Manager will lead the formulation, development and commercialisation of new and existing products, with a particular focus on laundry and household cleaning. This is a senior, hands-on technical role responsible for managing projects from concept and laboratory development through pilot trials, scale-up, technical transfer and first production. You will also drive product renovation, productivity initiatives and technical problem-solving while partnering closely with Commercial, Manufacturing, Quality and Procurement teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end formulation and development projects across laundry, household cleaning, personal care and natural health products
• Manage product scale-up from laboratory and pilot trials through to full production, including technical transfer and first-batch support
• Drive product renovation, process improvement, cost optimisation and packaging-development initiatives
• Apply structured root-cause analysis and experimental design to resolve stability, manufacturing and in-market quality issues
• Collaborate with internal teams, suppliers, contract manufacturers, testing laboratories and regulatory stakeholders

About You

• Degree qualified in Chemistry, Formulation Science, Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry or a related discipline
• A number of years experience in product development and formulation within FMCG, household, laundry or cleaning products
• Strong technical knowledge of surfactants, builders, chelates, enzymes, preservatives, viscosity, rheology and concentrated formulations
• Proven experience scaling products from laboratory development through pilot trials and full-scale manufacturing
• Strong project-management, communication and stakeholder-engagement skills with the ability to manage competing priorities