Product Development Specialist

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers; Pukekohe; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Impactful work

Collaborative team

Job summary

LeaderBrand is seeking a Product Development Specialist to join our Marketing team in New Zealand. You will report to the Senior Brand Manager and drive the innovation pipeline across fresh produce and bagged salads, taking concepts through to launch.

You will own projects, balancing consumer insight with creativity and commercial thinking to deliver products that win in market.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering innovation or new product development.
• Commercially astute with market launch experience.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines.

Responsibilities

• Research market trends, shopper data and consumer insights to propose new opportunities.
• Develop briefs for third-party suppliers and technical teams for new products.
• Assess viability and coordinate trials, sensory testing and shelf-life validation.
• Lead commercialisation and go-to-market planning for innovations.
• Manage packaging artwork, marketing collateral and shopper activation campaigns.

Skills

Product development

Brand management

Marketing

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Marketing/Business degree

Job description

At LeaderBrand, we’re passionate about evolving fresh food for a healthier world. We are one of New Zealand’s largest and most diverse horticultural businesses. As a proud family-owned business, our goal is to be New Zealand’s most innovative fresh food producer.

We are embarking on an exciting growth journey and we’re looking for a Product Development Specialist to join our Marketing team. You’ll report into our Senior Brand Manager and will play a key role in implementing our marketing plan and innovation pipeline across fresh produce and bagged salads.

With a strong focus on insights and innovation, you will manage a variety of projects including new product development, product reformulations and packaging innovations, working across retail, foodservice and private label. You will partner with cross-functional teams and third-party suppliers, to take opportunities from initial concept through to launch, collaborating on product feasibility, commercial viability, business case development, launch readiness and post-launch learning.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys turning ideas into action. You’ll own projects, solve problems and bring together consumer insight, creativity and commercial thinking to help create products that succeed in market.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Research market trends, shopper data, competitor activity, and consumer insights to recommend new product opportunities.
• Develop new product briefs for our third-party suppliers and technical teams to create products that meet consumer, brand and commercial needs.
• Assess financial viability of innovation projects and coordinate various feasibility work such as growing trials, factory capabilities, sensory testing, product claims, production trials, shelf-life validation and retailer sell-ins.
• Lead the commercialisation and go-to-market planning of approved innovations to ensure NPD is launched seamlessly with executional excellence. This includes running NPD meetings, owning project timelines, highlighting risks, troubleshooting issues and stage-gate requirements to keep projects moving.
• Manage packaging artwork development, marketing collateral and shopper activation campaigns.

About You

You’ll have experience delivering innovation or new product development and know how to take ideas from concept through to successful launch. You could be a Brand Manager or Assistant Brand Manager ready for your next step or have relevant experience from another product-focused role. What matters most is that you’re commercially astute, naturally curious and excited by the challenge of bringing new products to market.

You will bring:

• At least 2-3 years' product development, brand management or marketing experience, ideally within FMCG food manufacturing
• A tertiary qualification in Marketing, Business, Commerce or a related field
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple projects with a high level of autonomy and attention to detail
• A strong collaborator who can build relationships and has confidence to manage cross-functional project teams and third-party suppliers

What We Offer

• The opportunity to make a genuine impact in a growing category
• Supportive and collaborative team environment