Product Development Specialist

PZ Cussons (UK) Ltd; Manchester, Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Pension

Life assurance

Share Incentive Plan

Private medical cover

Flexible holidays

Job summary

PZ Cussons (UK) Ltd is seeking a Product Development Technologist in R&D to drive innovation in Personal Care & Beauty. You will work across R&D, packaging, marketing and manufacturing to turn ideas into strong launches, balancing quality, cost and timelines.

The role combines development and renovation with hands-on execution, requiring collaboration with multiple stakeholders and a passion for consumer-focused products.

Qualifications

• Experience in product development, formulation or innovation in FMCG/personal care or related category.
• Passion for creating consumer-loved products and bringing brand strategies to life.
• Strong collaboration with technical and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and launch innovative products and improvements across Personal Care & Beauty.
• Collaborate with R&D, Marketing, Packaging, Consumer Insights and Supply Chain to meet brand ambition.
• Support projects from concept through scale-up and commercialization, ensuring quality, cost and timelines.
• Partner with internal and external manufacturing to bring ideas to market efficiently.
• Apply technical problem-solving to create products that perform for consumers and customers.
• Contribute to continuous improvement balancing innovation with renovation.

Skills

Product development

FMCG experience

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Hands-on

Concept to commercialization

Education

Degree in a science/technical field

Job description

POSITION SNAPSHOT

Role: Product Development Technologist - Research and Development

Location: Manchester or London Contract: Permanent

WHY US AND WHY THIS ROLE

Seize the opportunity to be part of a unique business with an exciting vision for the future - where we dare to be bold, discover what’s possible, and do incredible. Dare. Discover. Do. At PZ Cussons, we offer five big reasons that people join and stay: Futureproof Our Brands, Create Your Own Impact, Accelerate Your Craft, Flexibility to Perform, And Collaborate with Intent. As a Product Development Technologist, you'll help bring consumer-loved products to life across our Personal Care & Beauty portfolio. Working alongside packaging, fragrance, marketing and manufacturing teams, you'll play a key role in turning ideas into high-performing products that people choose and trust every day. This role blends innovation and renovation, giving you the opportunity to shape new launches while enhancing existing favourites. You'll work across the full development journey, helping deliver products on time, on cost and to the highest quality standards. This is a role with real influence. You'll work across disciplines, contribute to exciting innovation programmes and help create products that strengthen our brands and delight consumers.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Help develop and launch innovative new products and product improvements across our Personal Care & Beauty portfolio.
• Collaborate with colleagues across R&D, Marketing, Packaging, Consumer Insights and Supply Chain to deliver consumer-focused solutions that meet brand ambitions.
• Support projects from concept through scale-up and commercialisation, helping ensure successful launches that meet quality, cost and timeline expectations.
• Partner with internal manufacturing sites and external manufacturing partners to bring product ideas to market efficiently and effectively.
• Use your technical expertise and problem-solving skills to help create products that perform brilliantly for consumers and customers alike.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, balancing innovation with smart renovation to strengthen our portfolio and category performance.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Experience supporting product development, formulation or innovation projects within FMCG, personal care, beauty or a related category.
• A passion for creating products that meet consumer needs and bring brand strategies to life.
• Strong collaboration skills and the confidence to work with a wide range of stakeholders across technical and commercial teams.
• Great organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A practical, hands-on approach and a desire to learn, develop and build technical expertise.
• An understanding of product development processes, from concept through to commercialisation.

WHAT YOU’LL GET IN RETURN

• Competitive annual bonus, pension, life assurance and Share Incentive Plan
• Private medical cover plus health & wellbeing support
• Flexible holiday options, including buy and accrual 1pm Friday finish for better work-life balance
• Hybrid/electric car scheme, cycle to work & free mortgage advice
• Discounted and complimentary PZ products
• Onsite gym (where available)

OUR PURPOSE, CULTURE AND VALUES

At PZ Cussons, our purpose is For Everyone, For Life, For Good. Guided by our BEST values, Bold, Energetic, Striving and Together, we nurture a culture where people feel empowered to grow, perform and make a meaningful difference every day. We retain the pioneering spirit of our founders by building portfolios of locally-loved brands across our key markets in the UK, ANZ, Nigeria and Indonesia, backed by the manufacturing scale and capability of a global business. Spanning Personal, Home and Baby Care, our products are trusted by millions of consumers worldwide, including Carex, Childs Farm, Cussons Baby, Imperial Leather, Morning Fresh, Original Source, Sanctuary Spa and St. Tropez.

INCLUSION AND FAIRNESS

We’re committed to building diverse teams that reflect our consumers and communities, creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to thrive. If you need any adjustments during the process, just let us know. #LI-CE1 #LI-Hybrid Dare to be bold, Discover what’s possible, and Do the incredible.