We’re Hiring: Manager – Product Development (Flowers, Pooja & Fragrance)
Location: Pune / Mumbai
Organization: Phulwaa
About the Role
We are looking for an innovative and result-oriented Manager – Product Development to lead the development and expansion of our product portfolio across Flowers, Pooja & Fragrance categories.
The role will be responsible for identifying new product opportunities, understanding customer preferences, researching market trends, developing product concepts, sourcing materials, coordinating with vendors, and managing the complete product development lifecycle from ideation to launch.
The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of consumer products, product development, sourcing, vendor management, costing, and quality standards, along with the ability to convert market insights into commercially viable products.
Key Responsibilities
1. Product Research & Development
- Identify new product opportunities across Flowers, Pooja & Fragrance categories.
- Conduct market research, competitor analysis, and consumer trend analysis.
- Develop innovative product concepts based on customer preferences and market demand.
- Research new materials, ingredients, designs, packaging, and product formats.
- Identify opportunities to improve existing products and introduce new product lines.
- Stay updated with emerging trends in floristry, pooja essentials, incense, perfumes, and home fragrances.
2. Product Conceptualization & Development
- Manage the complete product development lifecycle, from concept creation to final launch.
- Develop product specifications, samples, prototypes, and product briefs.
- Coordinate with vendors, manufacturers, florists, and suppliers for product development.
- Evaluate samples based on quality, design, functionality, pricing, and customer requirements.
- Conduct product trials and testing before finalizing products.
- Ensure products meet defined quality standards and business requirements.
3. Vendor Development & Sourcing
- Identify and onboard suitable manufacturers, vendors, suppliers, and production partners.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and external partners.
- Source raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, and finished products.
- Negotiate pricing, production timelines, minimum order quantities, and commercial terms.
- Evaluate vendors based on quality, reliability, cost, and production capabilities.
- Develop alternative sourcing options to ensure supply continuity.
4. Costing & Commercial Management
- Prepare product costing and evaluate overall commercial feasibility.
- Work on product pricing, cost optimization, and margin improvement.
- Analyze raw material costs, packaging costs, production expenses, and vendor quotations.
- Ensure new product development aligns with business budgets and profitability targets.
- Identify opportunities to reduce production costs without compromising product quality.
5. Product Quality & Packaging
- Define product quality parameters and specifications.
- Ensure consistency in product quality, design, packaging, and presentation.
- Coordinate product testing, sampling, and quality checks.
- Work on packaging development, material selection, and product presentation.
- Ensure appropriate storage, handling, and shelf-life considerations, especially for fresh flowers and fragrance products.
- Resolve product quality issues in coordination with vendors and operations.
6. Product Launch & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Coordinate product launches with Marketing, Sales, Procurement, and Operations teams.
- Develop product launch plans, timelines, and execution strategies.
- Ensure timely availability of products for launches and seasonal requirements.
- Work on new product collections for festivals, religious occasions, and seasonal demand.
- Gather customer feedback and market insights to improve existing products.
- Monitor post-launch product performance and recommend improvements.
7. Process Management & Reporting
- Develop SOPs and structured processes for product development and vendor coordination.
- Maintain product development trackers, costing sheets, vendor databases, and product specifications.
- Track development timelines, sampling status, product approvals, and launch schedules.
- Prepare regular MIS reports on product development activities and performance.
- Identify process gaps and implement improvements to increase development efficiency.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Product Design, Commerce, or a related field.
- MBA or postgraduate qualification in Product Management, Business Management, Marketing, or Operations will be an added advantage.
Experience
- 5–10 years of experience in Product Development, New Product Development (NPD), Product Management, Sourcing, or a similar role.
- Experience in Flowers, Floristry, Pooja Products, Incense, Fragrance, FMCG, Personal Care, D2C, or Lifestyle categories is preferred.
- Hands-on experience in product conceptualization, sampling, vendor development, sourcing, costing, and product launches.
- Experience working with manufacturers, suppliers, and external product development partners.
Required Skills
- New Product Development (NPD)
- Product Research & Conceptualization
- Product Sourcing & Vendor Development
- Product Costing & Pricing
- Market & Competitor Research
- Sample Development & Product Testing
- Quality Control & Assurance
- Packaging Development
- Vendor Negotiation
- Project & Timeline Management
- MIS Reporting & Data Analysis
- Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Number of New Products Developed and Launched
- Product Development Cycle Time
- On-Time Product Launches
- Product Cost Optimization
- Product Gross Margins
- Sample Approval Rate
- Product Quality and Defect Rate
- Vendor Performance
- Product Acceptance and Customer Feedback
- New Product Revenue Contribution
Ideal Candidate
We are looking for someone who has hands-on experience managing the complete product development lifecycle, from identifying market opportunities and conceptualizing products to sourcing, sampling, costing, quality evaluation, and successful product launches.
Candidates with experience in fresh flowers, floristry, pooja essentials, incense, perfumes, home fragrances, and related consumer product categories will be highly preferred.
Professionals from adjacent industries such as FMCG, personal care, cosmetics, home care, and lifestyle products may also be considered, provided they have strong hands-on product development and vendor management experience.
Why Join Us?
- Opportunity to build and develop innovative product lines.
- Work across multiple consumer product categories.
- Take ownership of product development from ideation to launch.
- Collaborate with vendors, manufacturers, and cross-functional teams.
- Be part of a growing organization focused on innovation and customer experience.