Lead New Product Developer (Maternity Cover)

Location: Hybrid / Shoreham-by-Sea, UK

Job type: Fixed term / Full-time

Sector and subsector: FMCG | Product

Salary: Competitive salary

Contract: 12–15 Month Maternity Cover Fixed Term Contract (depending on start date)

Do you have strong experience in trend‑led product development, ideally within the gift, consumer products, lifestyle, toys or licensed product industry? Are you excited by creating products for brands like Disney, Harry Potter, Marvel, Barbie and more? If so, we’d love you to join our Creative Team as Lead New Product Developer covering an initial 12–15‑month maternity leave period with the possibility of becoming permanent.

About Paladone

Paladone is an award‑winning wholesale giftware company with offices and teams working globally. Our mission is to create winning, trend‑led lifestyle products that put a smile on the faces of customers around the world. In 2025, Paladone was proud to be recognised as Employer of the Year and International Business of the Year, reflecting our commitment to our people, our culture and our continued global growth. Alongside our own branded products, we offer a comprehensive range of licensed giftware, working with many exciting mainstream brands such as Disney, Harry Potter, Marvel and DC Comics.

Opportunity

This is a key leadership role within the Creative function. As Lead New Product Developer, you will:

• Manage and mentor the NPD team (NPDs and Junior NPDs) to ensure high‑quality, commercially strong output.
• Act as the primary escalation point for development issues within the team.
• Work directly with the Head of Creative, contributing to strategic planning, range direction and process improvements.
• Partner closely with the Lead Designer, Sales, Supply Chain and HK Merchandising teams to deliver innovative, commercially viable products.

Key Duties

• Lead, manage and support the NPD team (Mid‑level and Junior Product Developers), ensuring projects are delivered to the right standard, on time and in line with commercial goals.
• Drive innovation and trend awareness, identifying opportunities for new product ideas and supporting the team to translate insights into commercially viable concepts.
• Oversee the full NPD process across multiple brands and categories — from concept development and briefing through to artwork, sampling, approval and launch.
• Work strategically with the Head of Creative to shape product direction, improve processes and support long‑term category planning.
• Manage the critical path, ensuring deadlines are met and proactively resolving risks or delays with HK Merchandising, Supply Chain and Design.
• Ensure accuracy and quality across artwork, specifications, samples and approvals, stepping in where senior escalation is needed.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Sales, Lead Designer, Supply Chain and HK teams to deliver strong ranges aligned to customer needs.
• Support customer meetings and presentations, showcasing product direction and development thinking when required.
• Maintain strong commercial awareness, ensuring products meet margin targets and align with customer and market expectations.
• Champion continuous improvement, helping enhance processes, ways of working and team efficiency within the Creative function.

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in product development within giftware, lifestyle, toys, stationery, homeware, FMCG or licensed consumer products.
• Proven experience managing and leading NPD teams, ideally across multiple levels (Senior, Mid‑level and Junior Developers).
• Confidence working at a strategic level supporting with planning, range direction, process improvements and wider department needs.
• Ability to balance hands‑on day‑to‑day development with high‑level oversight of projects, teams and category direction.
• Strong understanding of Far East manufacturing, production timelines, costing considerations and quality expectations.
• A commercial mindset, with the ability to make informed decisions that support customer needs, margin targets and business strategy.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with the confidence to collaborate across Creative, Sales, Supply Chain and HK teams.
• A proactive, solutions‑driven approach, able to problem‑solve, support team escalations and keep development on track.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast‑paced, trend‑led environment.

What we will offer

We’re committed to supporting your life both inside and outside of work. You’ll enjoy flexible hours, hybrid working, 25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays), additional wellbeing days, a Christmas closure and even a shorter day on your birthday. Our culture is friendly and community‑focused, with a Social Committee, fully funded events, team socials and activities that bring people together. Your health and wellbeing matter to us, so we provide paid medical appointment time, free eye tests and flu vaccinations, wellbeing resources, Mental Health First Aiders and Cycle to Work options. We also support your financial wellbeing through a 35% staff discount on Paladone & WeCool products, retail savings, tech and furniture schemes, discounted legal services, access to financial advisers and an NHS Top‑Up plan. We recognise and reward your contribution with annual pay reviews, bonuses, long service awards, peer recognition and a refer‑a‑friend scheme. With tailored development plans, funded training, professional qualifications, ILM leadership programmes and access to Litmos and LinkedIn Learning, you’ll have everything you need to grow your career with an award‑winning employer.