Sr Product Development Specialist

Advantage Sales & Marketing dba Advantage Solutions•Pennsauken, NJ

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Senior Product Development Specialist At our Company, we grow People, Brands, and Businesses! We are seeking a dynamic Senior Product Development Specialist to manage all aspects of product development including: design development, presentations, P&L and production execution for various lines. Act as customer liaison for issues including PO’s, shipment delays, item sheets, etc. This role is dedicated to multiple product lines and provides significant communication with various regional, corporate and international customers as well as vendor personnel. Take this opportunity to join North America’s leading business solutions provider and build your career working with amazing people in a growing industry! Apply today! The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today. Position Summary The Senior Product Development Specialist manages all aspects of product development including: design development, presentations, P&L and production execution for various lines. Act as customer liaison for issues including PO’s, shipment delays, item sheets, etc. This role is dedicated to multiple product lines and provides significant communication with various regional, corporate and international customers as well as vendor personnel.

Requirements

Associate's Degree in Marketing or equivalent experience required; Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience preferred
5+ years of experience in Food Marketing and Product Development
Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of product lifecycle and policy and procedure development techniques
Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
Good interpersonal skills
Strong prioritization skills
Decision making and problem solving skills
Analytical and research Skills
Ability to exercise sound judgment
Ability to make oral presentations
Ability to work effectively with management
Ability to research and analyze data effectively
Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
Ability to work independently and prioritize duties with minimal supervision, in order to meet deadlines
Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadline
Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browser

Responsibilities

Work with suppliers to develop new product offerings based off of market research and analysis of the market place and trade shows trends for emerging products
Manage the in-house art designs for packaging
Source packaging materials (boxes, displays, ribbons, etc.) and coordinate co-packing needs as required
Create sales presentations with pertinent information including the item specifications, pictures and key selling features
Create Item Sheets, Vendor Commitment Forms, Promotional Request Forms (Costco US, Canada, Mexico, International and BJ’s)
Provide necessary documentation in order to get government approval to import chocolate items. Necessary documents may include: Sugar Letters, Proof of Country of Origin, Breakdown of Ingredients, Production Flow Chart
Assist VP as needed on various projects
Responsible for negotiating costs with suppliers
Create packaging and palletization schematics
Work with compliance to ensure nutritional labeling/ingredients are accurate and compliant with applicable regulations
Factor in currency movement/conditions into the product development process and be prepared to react accordingly
Must work closely with Logistics to guarantee customer timelines are met
Manage P&Ls, ensuring that all costs in respective P&Ls are aligned and finalized
Educate sales team on the details and nuances of the programs and fully equip the salesperson with all data needed to close the sale
Provide samples and sales presentations to customers for review and consideration
Daily interaction with customer regarding PO’s, appointments, deliveries, demo schedules and product interest; also International Compliance: Label translations Packaging and ingredient/nutritional regulations Certification/ Constancia
Create IRI syndicated data charts
Conduct bi-yearly channel specific product surveys