Job Description
Are you looking to develop your career? We have a fantastic opportunity for a New Product Developer to join our friendly Science team here at Findel. If you have a background in electronic engineering or experience as a Physics teacher, then we’d love to hear from you.
As the secondary Science lead in new product development, you are responsible for working with existing and new suppliers to develop innovative new Science resources for the Phillip Harris brand, focusing on those which meet the learning outcome of the child.
This is a pivotal role within Findel; to develop best in class innovative products across science, electronics and technology product categories that will give Findel Education significant points of difference in the educational marketplace.
Reporting to the Senior Buyer, you will engage heavily with the market (both suppliers and customers) to understand existing and emerging trends and product requirements from a teaching and learning perspective. You will develop strong working relationships with ASE, Science Advisory bodies, schools and universities.
This exciting role involves a combination of product development experience and engineering skills to own and develop the right kind of products to meet our customer’s needs and reaffirm the Phillip Harris brand’s leading position as the market leader in the secondary school market.
Your Role:
Some of the responsibilities of this exciting opportunity include:
* Possess a solid understanding of the science curriculum with a vision that incorporates thinking in teaching.
* Working alongside experts to develop product in line with the current requirement and planned developments.
* Become immersed in your subject areas, being at the cutting edge of all the latest developments and research.
* Alongside the Buyer, develop a structured research program to assess customer future needs
* Develop an inspirational range of new products to meet the demands of the market across the Phillip Harris brand from concept to profitable sales.
* Develop product ROIs, working within budget constraints and forecasting levels, in conjunction with the Merchandising team.
* Report on product performance against ROI for 5 years post product launch.
* Provide clear visibility of the project progress and milestones, timelines, and budgets to support the Buyer to enable visibility to the wider business.
* Identify products in the existing range that can be re-developed to improve their sales performance
* Work in partnership with the Merchandising team to manage the stock in-take process and sales forecasts.
* Work alongside the technical support team to help support customers and explore customer feedback and ideas.
* Work alongside the Quality team at every stage of the product development process to ensure all products are compliant with the relevant certification and meet the required quality standards.
* Contribute to the production of the product launch plans, working alongside marketing, digital and social.
About You:
We are ideally looking for candidates with the following skills and experience:
* Previous experience in a similar product development or engineering role in a commercial environment, with experience of delivering revenue generating and profitable products to targeted audiences.
* This role would suit someone who has previous experience or a degree in electronic engineering, or experience as a Physics teacher.
* Experience of engineering CAD software and ability to create technical drawings
* Management of critical path and process is essential.
* Strong understanding of science curriculum, UK education market and current teaching methods.
* Ability to manage complex and varied stakeholders.
* Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to influence others and work collaboratively
* Excellent negotiation and presentation skills.
* Strong understanding and appreciation of commercial terms and targets.
* Openness to new ideas, actively facilitates idea generation.
* Able to gather and report on industry information from a wide variety of sources
* Conversant with use of electronic test equipment and methods, eg. able to analyse circuits, check battery life, diagnose faults and propose alternative solutions.
* Some experience of mechanical engineering and coding would be of benefit, but not essential.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
What’s in it for you:
Competitive salary & benefits package including:
* 25 days holiday
* Birthday holiday
* Contributory pension scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme, including online GP & well-being support
* Volunteering Leave
* Staff discounts
* We support hybrid working, with 3 days per week at our collaborative workspace in Hyde, Greater Manchester. Our culture is friendly, welcoming and supportive, and we believe work should be fun.
About Findel
Findel is an eCommerce educational resources supplier in the UK and International schools and nurseries marketplace. We own several general and specialist educational brands; Hope, GLS, Davies Sports, Philip Harris, Spa4Schools, A-Z and LDA.
We look for people who want to inspire future generations of learners and who will play a part in moving Findel forward for the greater good. We recruit people who stand out from the crowd, take responsibility for seeking out what adds value and think outside the box.
o To find out about Findel, our vision, values and all the great things we do to support communities and the environment, please visit: https://www.findel.co.uk/
o To apply, please visit: https://findeleducation.careers.adp.com/