Assistant Product Development Manager

Location: Head Office - La Lucia Ridge

MAIN JOB PURPOSE:
Do you want to be part of the innovation process that will solve some of the greatest challenges facing Africa and work on a future fit portfolio of products? Does the idea of landing leading-edge technical solutions that offer new benefits to consumers excite you? Then this position might be something for you We are looking for an Assistant Formulation Manager to join our Skin Cleansing R&D team in Durban This role is an amazing chance to be part of the exciting Skin Cleansing R&D Africa team partnering closely with Marketing and Supply Chain to drive double digit growth through exciting new innovations & profitability improvements. You will be responsible for powerful brands such as Sunlight and Geisha not only in the innovation space but also in delivering value improvement projects across Africa. The Personal Care category brings purpose, joy and delightful experiences to consumers and customers across Africa by delivering exciting and value product offerings - come join our team

JOB SUMMARY- Working closely with cross functional teams to transform Marketing ideas into robust technical briefs, ultimately delivering excellent product solutions that delight our consumers.- To plan, organise and execute a variety of project types as assigned under guidance from line manager.- Lead the coordination of all formulation technical elements (e.g. formulation coordination, performance validation, specifications, cost, lab/pilot plant prototypes and product stability).- Stakeholder management regarding technical issues / status; balancing and managing diverse needs and desires.- Work across multiple projects and cross-functional teams in different geographies in Africa- Be an integral part of a design team catering for Africa consumer needs- Represent the voice of R&D to the rest of the company, supporting brand growth agendas and category strategy through a strong understanding of the technical product portfolio & funnel, brand context, consumer insights and the use of digital tools and relevant trends.- Manage compliance of products working with Regulatory Affairs and Legal teams- Project & technical risk management, ensuring technical action standards are met at key decision points.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum of 2 years relevant experience in R&D preferably with project management experience and/or product development experience.- Great people skills; building and maintaining relationships with an ability to be persuasive and assertive when necessary. Ability to work well both independently and as part of a wider cross-functional team.- Excellent communication skills with an ability to bring technologies and innovations to life in a clear and engaging way- Skilled in analysing risk and stakeholder management- A passion & curiosity for learning about customers & consumers, always looking for ideas and translating this into new business opportunities- Attention to detail especially in experimentation, data recording and analysis.- Good time-management skills to handle multiple projects, in a dynamic environment with changing priorities.- Digitally savvy - Demo creation - an element of creativity required, data (i.e. Power BI)

Qualifications:
- A scientist, with a B.SC, ideally Chemistry- Curiosity in the latest innovation and technology is essential along with and entrepreneurial spiritYOUR CAREER AT UNILEVER:
- Exposures to technical centres globally- Learning from the best minds in product development, locally and abroad- Development planning, coaching & guidance- Structured career development, led by employee purpose- Opportunity to gain exposures in other interest areas through flexible and dynamic resourcing across the business, thus expanding on business acumen as an R&D practitioner