Product Development Manager (Confectionery & Promotional Items)

Who We Are Nassau Candy is a leading manufacturer and distributor in the confectionery, gourmet food, and private-label industries. With decades of expertise, we take pride in providing high-quality products to retailers across the nation. Our company is built on a foundation of innovation, integrity, and excellence, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the industry. Our expansive portfolio includes a variety of confections, specialty foods, and customized solutions tailored to our customers’ needs. At Nassau Candy, we are committed to fostering a dynamic workplace where teamwork and growth are at the core of everything we do.

What We Stand For and Where You'll Come In We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Product Development Manager to join our growing team. In this critical role, you will play a key part in driving innovation and bringing new products to the market for big-box retailers and major retail chains across the country. The ideal candidate will work collaboratively across departments to lead product development efforts, optimize processes, and ensure that Nassau Candy continues to offer high-quality, market-leading products. Reporting to Sr. Director, Product Development, this role will have a significant impact companywide, working closely with the Product Development team, Marketing, Regulatory & Compliance, and Business Development & Sales to ensure seamless execution and strategic alignment.

One Team: We operate as one team, valuing expertise while aligning ourselves with common goals. We prioritize collaboration across departments, ensuring the right people are in the right discussions to drive meaningful impact.

Innovation and Adaptability: We embrace new ideas and encourage a proactive approach to problem-solving. We analyze data, listen to feedback, and adapt quickly to ensure continuous improvement.

Customer-Centric Approach: Whether serving external customers or supporting internal teams, we understand the importance of each interaction and strive to enhance experiences at every level. Our customers are a top priority, and we pride ourselves in helping our customers grow while we grow.

Execution with Excellence: We focus on impact, ensuring that strategies and initiatives drive tangible results. We continuously challenge ourselves to exceed expectations and set new benchmarks for success.

Data-Driven Decision Making: We rely on insights to guide our strategies, prioritize effectively, and remain flexible in an ever-evolving landscape. We consistently ask, “What’s the most important focus right now, and how do we validate our approach?”

How You'll Make An Impact

Product Development:

• Develop new every day and seasonal food items for private label customers.
• Own and manage entire product development process from new item concept through to first production run.
• Provide leadership and foster effective cross-functional team collaboration (R&D, Packaging, Purchasing, Production, and Creative) to launch products successfully and on time.
• Lead customer pricing process of new items; work with Production and suppliers to ensure costs and assumptions are accurately captured in pricing models.
• Work closely with the Sales team to partner on the development of new products as requested by key customers and manage process to create samples and pricing.
• Partner with Marketing to provide clear direction of look and feel for new items as well as positioning in sales collateral and e-commerce.

Product Costing:

• Oversee costing models for all product development customer inquiries including manufacturing, labor, raw materials, packaging, and transportation.
• Analyze product formulas to determine loss and yield and update often to ensure accurate costing.
• Collaborate with the production team to verify labor output and confirm all costs are accurate and reflected in costing models.
• Ensure concerns and challenges around product development and costs are addressed throughout the process.
• Deliver pricing recommendation which meets company and customer profit margin benchmarks while ensuring a competitive retail price to the consumer.

Category Management:

• Analyze and understand category statistics and business implications.
• Identify competitive white space and new product opportunities.
• Develop strategic plans and recommendations for product line execution.

Efficiencies:

• Identify and implement process improvement opportunities.
• Perform ongoing analysis of costing model to maintain accurate costs and customer pricing.
• Monitor and manage on-time responses to customers’ RFQs.

Development:

• Potential to manage direct reports.
• Provide mentorship of junior associates to develop skill set and confidence in approach to product management and costing.

We're Excited About You Because

• You have a passion for product innovation and a deep understanding of the food or confectionery industry.
• You thrive in a high-energy environment where multiple projects are in motion, and you adapt seamlessly to changing priorities.
• You bring a creative and solutions-oriented mindset, always looking for new ways to enhance products and processes.
• You have experience leading cross-functional teams and driving projects from ideation to execution.
• You possess strong analytical skills and use data-driven insights to inform decision-making.
• You have six (6) plus years in product development, with a strong background in food manufacturing, formulation, or R&D.
• You are highly collaborative and excel at building relationships across teams and levels.
• A passion for candy, confectionery, and promotional items is a huge plus!

Office Guidelines We believe in the power of collaboration and the value of working together in person. Our culture thrives on teamwork, open communication, and shared problem-solving. This role is in-office, and we are seeking individuals who thrive in this environment, fostering deeper connections and engagement.

Join us as we continue to innovate and lead in the confectionery and specialty food industry, shaping the future of Nassau Candy and delivering excellence to our customers.