Product Development Manager

• 4298
• P & A Group
• Saltney (Flintshire)
• Permanent, Full Time
• Circa £35,000, negotiable dependent on experience

Product Development Manager (Senior Designer)

This is fantastic opportunity for a strategic and visionary Product Development Manager to be in at the start of the exciting development of a brand new Design Studio and lead a talented young team of designers to create innovative and user-friendly product ranges for a top brand in the garden leisure industry.

You’ll join our ambitious and fast growing Zest 4 Leisure business based in Saltney, Chester - the winner of the Best New Product Overall award at Glee 2020 (the UK’s leading garden and outdoor living trade show).

This is a chance for you to make your mark and build a reputation for outstanding products within a competitive market. You’ll be encouraged to bring your passion for user-centric design and leverage your solutions-focused, calm leadership style to influence others and support your team to flourish.

The Company

Zest 4 Leisure is part of the P&A Group of Companies, a successful multi-award-winning family run business based in North Wales. We have been manufacturing and selling high quality timber products for thirty-five years across several business streams including Zest 4 Leisure, P&A Pallets & Packaging and The Woodworks Garden Centre and Café and each one is dedicated to delivering a high level of customer satisfaction and top-quality products.

The Role - Product Development Manager (Senior Designer)

Reporting to the Strategy Manager, you will lead, inspire and manage a growing team (currently consisting of two designers), to deliver product designs that differentiate Zest 4 Leisure as the brand of choice for garden furniture within its target market.

Your duties will include, although not be limited to:

• Bringing the company vision to life by applying user-centric design (UCD) and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles to consistently improve product ranges and develop innovative new products from concept to manufacture
• Leading, coaching and mentoring your team to enable them to flourish and make their best ideas a reality through practical application
• Creating and implementing a realistic and achievable annual product design plan
• Presenting monthly reports of design activity and progress
• Working with Marketing and Sales to ensure designs not only meet the needs of the target market but stand out from the crowd
• Attending regular meetings with the Sales Team to exchange knowledge and insights to drive continuous product improvement
• Chairing the annual New Product Development Team meeting and effectively project manage the development and delivery of new/improved products within seasonal timelines
• Developing the library of technical drawings across full product range to ensure consistent standard of manufacture and production across the supply chain
• Liaising with manufacturers/suppliers regarding prototyping and initial production set up
• Ensuring all changes, benefits and features are effectively communicated to key stakeholders to ensure effective marketing and product launch once new/improved products are signed-off

Requirements - Product Development Manager (Senior Designer)

• Proven experience of leading a product design team within a commercial setting, with experience of product design from concept to manufacture
• Strong knowledge of CAD design principles
• Capable of inspiring and developing a team, with excellent interpersonal and leadership skills
• Commercial awareness with a keen eye for detail
• Excellent planning, project management and communication skills
• Driven to deliver to high quality standards
• Willingness to occasionally travel overseas as required to meet with suppliers (subject to Covid restrictions)

The Package

You’ll be part of an award-winning business with a strong focus on staff development, progressive improvement and consistent delivery on our values. We think of our employees as our most valuable asset and encourage every member of the team to use their skills and knowledge to ensure a successful future for the company.

As the Product Development Manager, you’ll benefit from:

• Salary circa £35,000, negotiable dependent on experience
• 33 days holidays (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance
• Discretionary profit share scheme
• 20% discount at the Woodworks Garden Centre and Café
• Long service awards
• Onsite free parking

You’ll be employed on a permanent contract, working 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday, based at our Zest 4 Leisure Warehouse Distribution Centre in Saltney.

All applications for this Product Development Manager (Senior Designer) vacancy are to be submitted online.