At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop innovative skincare products that customers love and manage the product development process.
- Company: Join M&S, a dynamic and inclusive beauty team leading the skincare market.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to making positive change in retail.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in skincare innovation while collaborating with creative teams.
- Qualifications: Expertise in beauty product development and excellent communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Are you passionate about developing innovative skincare products that customers love? We’re looking for a Product Development Technologist to join our Beauty team and play a key role in creating market-leading, customer-focused skincare products. In this role, you’ll be responsible for technically developing safe, legal, ethical, and price-competitive skincare ranges that set M&S apart from the competition. You’ll manage the product development process from concept to shelf, ensuring all products align with our brand values and performance standards.
To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.
What’s in it for you: Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever-evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, and service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us. Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:
- After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
Your key accountabilities will include:
- Technically accountable for department/departments and representing M&S technology externally and across the business.
- Develop great quality products in collaboration with buying and design teams.
- Developing junior members of the technical team.
- Deliver clear briefs for new product development & relevant tenders, to include raw materials, claims, texture, required product testing and M&S Compliance Requirements.
- Critical path - ensure all technical deadlines are met in line with BU critical path and continually working to optimise Leadtime whilst maintaining product technical standards.
- Working closely with raw material suppliers where relevant, to ensure quality feedback and innovation is embedded into the seasonal strategy.
- Keep abreast of the latest technology trends in raw materials, claims, manufacturing techniques and relevant packaging.
- Feeding into the product development process.
Your skills and experience will include:
- Expert in the field of developing beauty products with a focus on skincare.
- Excellent communication skills within Beauty Technical Function, Design and Buying, Supply Base and Global Sourcing Offices.
- Multi-tasked orientated working to tight deadlines while maintaining entrepreneurialism.
- Capable of interpreting customer data to shape future product development strategy.
- Ability to embrace change and strive to embed new processes and ways of working.
Everyone’s welcome: We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating, and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted, and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Beauty Product Technologist - Skincare employer: Marks & Spencer Plc
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture, particularly for the Beauty Product Technologist role in Skincare. With a strong focus on employee development, competitive benefits including generous discounts, flexible parental policies, and comprehensive wellbeing support, M&S empowers its team members to thrive both personally and professionally while contributing to innovative product development that resonates with customers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Beauty Product Technologist - Skincare
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like Marks & Spencer Plc!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at Marks & Spencer Plc would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at Marks & Spencer Plc through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Beauty Product Technologist - Skincare
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Beauty Product Technologist - Skincare, let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Beauty Product Technologist - Skincare position at Marks & Spencer Plc. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks & Spencer Plc
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
