Product Development Manager

Inspired to grow with your experience, learn and share with new colleagues?

Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste.

We are committed to protecting food, people and the planet and are on the lookout for passionate and consummate professionals to join our growing team to help us deliver on our ambitious 2030 Strategy. We look for colleagues who Care, Dare and Deliver.
- Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania (EAO) business segment offers high quality molded fiber and paperboard packaging for fresh food and beverages across Europe, Asia and Oceania. We serve quick service and fast casual restaurants, coffee shops and vending operators as well as egg, fruit and vegetable producers._

We are looking for a Product Development Manager based in Nules (Valencia), Spain.

The New Product Development organization works across Europe, Asia and Oceania developing the next generation of products for Huhtamaki and its customers, future proofing the organization in its chosen markets. Tasked with identifying the needs of customers and consumers, the NPD team works closely with the regions and manufacturing sites to develop technologies, products and materials that provide growth opportunities along with efficiency improvements and margin enhancement.

As Product Development Manager you will be responsible for the design and development of new packaging solutions required to answer the global & regional customer’s needs, trends, markets & legislations requirements. You will manage internal & external stakeholders and manage the projects together with the customers, with technology or material providers and in some cases take the overall technical responsibilities towards the customer.

Main responsibilitites
- Develop and deploy key products and technologies for Foodservice EAO FMCG Dairy
- Manage the Dairy project portfolio and pipeline of a specific FMCG product category
- Manage the briefing and internal management of new customer requests
- Brief technology & material providers and manage the project´s eco-system
- Lead the entire product development project´s stages, including technical risks management and project timelines
- Build and monitor the projects planning to ensure its progress with all involved parties
- Manage The Dairy category and projects pipeline internal & external stakeholders
- Patent and protect Huhtamaki concepts developed for the FMCG product category
- Identify and develop product development opportunities to increase profitable sales growth
- Support group initiatives other than customer requests
- Work across Huhtamaki sites on a global level to coordinate projects activity in the FMCG category
- Work closely with other NPD Managers to ensure knowledge and technology sharing across segments
- Organize and assist tests and production trials of the minimum viable or the final product
- Coordinate the technical drawings creation internally, with the customers and the involved suppliers
- Organization, coordination and/or participation in work teams aimed at generating new products ideas/Concepts (internal & external collaborations)
- Own the specifications creation from a technical and commercial perspective
- Build or support NPD capability building plans

Key success Factors and Qualifications

To thrive in the role, ideally you have:

- Master’s Degree in packaging or technical (engineering) discipline
- 5+ years´ experience and proven expertise in FMCG packaging development project management
- Experience in product development and project management in an international environment, preferably in the areas of packaging (FMCG environments) innovation processes and development projects
- Dairy experience (very specific due to production, quality, product requirements)
- Ability to communicate in English, other languages are an advantage
- Ability to manage and deliver multiple complex projects
- Ability to establish and manage project portfolio and pipeline
- Proven track record of good customer and supplier relationships and working collaboratively to deliver mutual business growth
- Strong team player, able to engage and harness existing resources
- Able to take responsibility and be accountable
- Willingness to travel across the region
- Enthusiastic, Entrepreneurial, Resourceful, Resilient, Versatile, Persistent
- Customers and results orientation

Join us to shape the future together