Project Manager, R&D New Product Development (NPD)

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive New Product Development Project Manager to lead cross-functional global product development initiatives from concept through commercialization. This role is responsible for driving timelines, aligning stakeholders, managing budgets, mitigating risk, and ensuring the successful execution of omni-channel skincare and wellness product launches in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.

The ideal candidate combines strong project management discipline with experience supporting regulated consumer product development, contract manufacturing coordination, and commercialization execution. This individual will serve as a central leader across R&D, Marketing, Regulatory, Operations, Supply Chain, and external partners to bring innovative, high-quality products to market efficiently and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead and manage omni-channel new product development initiatives from ideation through commercialization and global launch.

· Facilitate internal & external project meetings, track action items, and ensure accountability across teams.

· Develop, maintain, and drive detailed project plans, timelines, milestones, risks, and deliverables.

· Coordinate and manage cross-functional teams including R&D, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Packaging, and Commercial teams.

· Drive omni-channel global commercialization readiness activities including packaging readiness, artwork approvals, inventory timing, launch planning, and production coordination.

· Coordinate pilot runs, scale-up activities, and manufacturing transfer processes.

· Manage relationships with external contract manufacturers, suppliers, testing labs, and vendors to ensure successful project execution.

· Coordinate and/or support new product testing activities including stability, compatibility, microbiological, claims substantiation, and consumer testing.

· Works closely with Professional Relations team on clinical testing to support product availability needs and determine if changes to the projects’ timelines and tasks are required.

· Partner closely with R&D, Regulatory and Quality teams to support compliance with FDA, OTC, Skin Cancer Foundation, cosmetic, and international requirements.

· Monitor project budgets, resource needs, timelines, and overall project performance.

· Identify project risks proactively and develop mitigation plans to minimize impact to timelines, cost, and quality.

· Provide clear and concise project updates to stakeholders and executive leadership.

· Support portfolio planning, prioritization, and Stage Gate governance processes.

· Balance multiple concurrent projects while maintaining strong attention to detail and organizational excellence.

· Support continuous improvement of project management processes, governance, and best practices.

· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Cosmetic Science, Project Management, or related field.

· 10 years of project management experience within skincare, cosmetics, OTC, wellness, personal care, or regulated consumer product environments.

· Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional product development programs from ideation through commercialization and omni-channel global launch.

· Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.

· Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.

· Experience developing and managing project plans, schedules, budgets, and risk mitigation plans.

· Proven ability to influence and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

· Experience operating within Stage Gate or structured product development frameworks.

· Experience working with external contract manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors.

· Strong problem-solving skills and ability to anticipate and mitigate project risks.

· Proficiency with project management tools and Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred

· Portfolio management experience.

· PMP or other project management certification.

· Experience in regulated manufacturing environments.

· Experience with OTC, SPF, mineral sunscreen, dermatologist-dispensed, or clinically tested skincare products.

· Experience with Smartsheet, Asana, Monday.com, Jira, Microsoft Project, or PLM systems.

Success Factors

· Strong sense of ownership and accountability.

· Ability to operate effectively in dynamic and evolving environments.

· Collaborative mindset with strong relationship-building skills.

· Detail-oriented while maintaining focus on broader strategic objectives.

· Ability to communicate effectively with both technical teams and executive leadership.

· Ability to influence without direct authority.

· Strong sense of urgency and execution focus.

· Comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving priorities.

· Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.

· Data-driven decision making and risk assessment mindset.

Success Metrics

· On-time project delivery.

· Successful commercialization and launch readiness execution.

· Budget adherence and resource management.

· Cross-functional stakeholder satisfaction.

· Reduction in project cycle times and execution bottlenecks.

· Quality and compliance adherence throughout development lifecycle.