Product Development Manager

Smart4 Sciences; Bishop's Stortford; Sur place; GBP 60 000 - 80 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Smart4 Sciences is seeking a Product Performance Development Manager for a 12‑month fixed‑term contract in the UK. The role combines hands‑on fragrance performance testing with leadership of a small technical team and close collaboration with perfumers, development, commercial and technical teams.

The successful candidate will drive testing strategies, deliver technical reports, and present findings to customers.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years fragrance industry experience.
• Experience with fragrance applications and product performance testing.
• Scientific or chemistry-based qualification.
• Experience mentoring technical staff.

Responsabilités

• Lead and develop the Product Performance Development team.
• Plan and coordinate reactive and proactive fragrance performance testing.
• Carry out and oversee testing covering stability, weight loss, viscosity and sensory performance.
• Develop testing approaches and methodologies to support customer and internal requirements.
• Produce clear technical reports and recommendations for commercial and customer teams.
• Provide technical input and presentations to customers when required.
• Work with perfumery, applications, development and commercial teams to introduce new technologies and solutions.
• Support fragrance applications across Fine Fragrance, Personal Care, Home Care, Household and Fabric Care.
• Develop the technical capability of the team through coaching, training and mentoring.
• Ensure testing equipment, calibration and contracts are maintained appropriately.
• Provide technical leadership and support across the wider UK business.

Connaissances

Fragrance industry experience

Team leadership

Fragrance applications

Analytical/problem solving

Stakeholder communication

Excel

Mentoring

Formation

Science/chemistry degree

Outils

Testing equipment

Description du poste

Product Performance Development Manager – 12 Month FTC

Location: UK

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

A leading fragrance business is looking for an experienced Product Performance Development Manager to join its technical team on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

This is a specialist opportunity for someone with a strong background in fragrance applications, technical development or product performance, who enjoys combining hands‑on technical work with team leadership and customer‑facing activity.

You will lead a small technical team responsible for understanding and demonstrating how fragrances perform across a range of finished products, working closely with perfumers, development, commercial and technical teams.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing the Product Performance Development team
• Planning and coordinating reactive and proactive fragrance performance testing
• Carrying out and overseeing testing covering areas such as stability, weight loss, viscosity and sensory performance
• Developing testing approaches and methodologies to support customer and internal requirements
• Producing clear technical reports and recommendations for commercial and customer teams
• Providing technical input and presentations to customers when required
• Working closely with perfumery, applications, development and commercial teams to introduce new technologies and solutions
• Supporting fragrance applications across Fine Fragrance, Personal Care, Home Care, Household and Fabric Care
• Developing the technical capability of the team through coaching, training and mentoring
• Ensuring testing equipment, calibration and associated contracts are maintained appropriately
• Providing technical leadership and support across the wider UK business

About you

We are looking for someone with a genuine fragrance industry background rather than a general laboratory or formulation profile.

You are likely to have experience within fragrance applications, fragrance development, technical development, product performance or a closely related area, ideally with a scientific or chemistry-based qualification.

You will ideally have:

• 3–5+ years' relevant fragrance industry experience
• Experience of working with fragrance applications and product performance testingPrevious experience managing, mentoring or developing technical staff
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Good attention to detail and a methodical approach to technical work
• Confidence communicating technical information to both internal and external stakeholders
• Strong Excel and wider Microsoft Office skills
• Experience with sensory testing would be advantageous
• A good sense of smell — an internal smelling assessment will form part of the process
• This would suit someone who enjoys being hands‑on technically, but is also comfortable taking ownership of projects, supporting customers and providing technical direction to others.

The opportunity

A chance to join an established and highly regarded fragrance organisation for an initial 12-month fixed-term contract, working across a broad range of fragrance applications and playing a key role within the technical function.