1. Purpose of the Role
The NPD Project Manager leads and coordinates the end-to-end new product development lifecycle for Taisun's product lines (baby diapers, adult incontinence, and other personal care categories) — from ideation and market research through R&D and manufacturing coordination to a successful, on-time, on-budget go-to-market launch.
2. Key Responsibilities
2.1 Project Planning & Pipeline Management
- Build and own the end-to-end NPD roadmap and pipeline, translating business priorities into a clear project plan with milestones, owners, and deadlines.
- Break down each project into phases (concept, feasibility, development, testing, commercialization) with defined gates and deliverables.
- Maintain a master NPD tracker covering all active projects, status, and key risks for leadership visibility.
2.2 Cross-Functional Coordination
- Act as the central point of coordination between Brand Marketing, R&D, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality (QA/QC), and external partners/suppliers.
- Run regular project meetings, align stakeholders on priorities, and drive decisions when functions disagree on scope or timeline.
- Escalate cross-functional blockers early and broker trade-off decisions (cost vs. speed vs. quality) with relevant stakeholders.
2.3 Risk, Timeline & Budget Ownership
- Proactively identify project risks and bottlenecks (technical, supply, regulatory, budget) and drive mitigation plans before they impact timelines.
- Track project budgets (CAPEX/OPEX related to NPD), flag variances, and keep spending aligned with approved plans.
- Own the overall project timeline — re-baseline and communicate proactively whenever scope or dependencies change.
2.4 Product Development & Testing Execution
- Translate consumer insights, competitive analysis, and market trends into actionable product development briefs together with Brand Marketing.
- Manage the testing workstream end-to-end: lab testing, quality validation, and Home Use Tests (HUT), consolidating findings into clear recommendations for product optimization.
- Ensure new products meet all required certifications and regulatory standards (safety, quality, and target-market compliance) before launch.
2.5 Go-to-Market Coordination & Reporting
- Partner with Trade Marketing and Sales to build the launch plan, validating manufacturing and distribution readiness ahead of launch.
- Prepare and present regular progress reports to leadership and key stakeholders, highlighting status, risks, and decisions needed.