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. Qualifications Required
• 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.