Manager - Innovation & Strategy - New Product Development - D2C Personal Care Skin Care & Beauty FMCG

Company: Leading D2C Personal Care Skin Care and Beauty FMCG Company

Position: Manager Innovation and Strategy (NPD) Skin Care Beauty

Location: Pune

Requirement:

- Lead the end-to-end development of new product concepts from ideation, variation, and formulation briefing to testing and pre-launch planning.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a forward-thinking and insight-driven professional to lead Innovation and Strategy within a core skincare category of our growing Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brand. This strategic position will be instrumental in identifying new opportunities, crafting future-facing product concepts, and overseeing end-to-end development from ideation to launch. You will be responsible for building and managing a robust innovation pipeline that aligns with our brand vision, resonates with our digitally native audience, and fuels sustained growth. This is a high-impact role that requires a unique blend of strategic mind, consumer insights, and concepts like none other.

Company Description:

Co is a skin care brand based in Pune, dedicated to simplifying skin care routines for effective results. Our brand's mission is to make skin care simple and accessible to all individuals. With a focus on natural ingredients and straightforward products, Co. aims to enhance the skin care experience for customers.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the end-to-end development of new product concepts from ideation, variation, and formulation briefing to testing and pre-launch planning.

- Define and drive the long-term strategic vision for an assigned skincare category.

- Identify market gaps and opportunities through consumer insights, competitive benchmarking, trend forecasting, and market analysis.

- Develop a 1236 month innovation pipeline aligned with brand goals and commercial targets.

- Lead the end-to-end development of new product concepts from ideation, variation, and formulation briefing to testing and pre-launch planning.

- Collaborate closely with R&D, packaging, regulatory, and operations to ensure timely and compliant product development.

- Monitor post-launch performance, consumer feedback, and category evolution to refine innovation efforts.

- Recommend adjustments to strategy based on data, insights, and emerging trends.

Required qualification and skills:

- Minimum of 515 years of experience in product innovation, category strategy, or brand development, specifically within a D2C skincare, beauty, or wellness brand.

- Proven track record of leading new product initiatives from concept to commercialization.

- Strong understanding of the D2C ecosystem, ecommerce user behavior, and digital marketing collaboration.

- Demonstrated ability to translate data and insights into actionable innovation strategies.

- A deep passion for skincare, ingredient innovation, and consumer-centric brand building.