About Fragrances of Ireland Ltd

An opportunity to join a dynamic Irish SME that is distributing its products to over 5,000 independent gift retail store customers around the world. Based in our converted farmhouse and barn in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow we export to the USA, Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, and Australia, participate in over 25 B2B trade shows worldwide each year, and partner with over 130 independent multi-line sales representatives.

We have exciting plans to further grow our existing markets and enter new ones and we are therefore looking for a highly experienced and senior NPD & Sourcing Manager to accelerate new product development (NPD) and strengthen our supplier network.

Our best-selling fragrance and personal care brand ‘Inis the Energy of the Sea’ has achieved huge success in markets all around the world. Consumers everywhere love Inis, the clean, fresh fragrance which makes you feel close to the sea, no matter where you are.

Despite our growth we remain a highly creative and friendly SME with a very collaborative team so you will need to be a friendly team player and strong communicator with an inclusive leadership style. We believe in making people happy, including our customers and our employees, and doing our bit to make the world better. We’re the core funder for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and we’re Plastic Neutral Certified, retrieving from the world environment as much plastic as we use each year. We are the sponsor of the Wicklow Senior Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association team, showing our local support too.

This is a great opportunity for a senior operations professional with proven skills and experience to develop and transform our New Product Development and to take our business growth journey to the next level.

About the role

The NPD & Sourcing Manager will report to the Head of Supply Chain Operations and will be a strategic and hands‑on professional.  They will join a small and busy operations team and will need to demonstrate being able to execute tasks by themselves at a base level as well as possess the experience to build on these to identify improvements and develop the function. They will need to be able to draw ideas and inspiration for new products from our Marketing and Sales teams, then refine and develop the best of these to launch.

They will be responsible for leading supplier selection, negotiation, and performance for NPD across both packaging and formulation sourcing. This hybrid role bridges Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, and Marketing, ensuring the delivery of innovative, sustainable, and brand‑aligned products through the full NPD process from concept to launch.

The position will directly oversee two technical specialists under contract with the company: a Packaging Technologist and a Chemical Formulations Expert.

We are looking for a self-starter and leader with a solid understanding of both disciplines who can manage cross‑functional collaboration to deliver excellence in new product development and sourcing.

What you'll do

Packaging Development & Innovation

• Collaborate with Operations, Marketing and NPD teams to manage the translation of creative NPD ideas into fully developed and viable technical solutions
• Manage, negotiate, and oversee all packaging activities from design to delivery.
• Ensure packaging reflects brand identity while meeting sustainability and operational efficiency goals
• Provide leadership and development in Packaging Technology within the company and manage our Packaging Technologist.

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Develop, manage, and implement a sourcing and procurement strategy covering packaging and formulation partners.
• Identify, assess, negotiate with and onboard best‑in‑class suppliers, including formulation labs, contract manufacturers, and packaging producers.
• Negotiate, build, and sustain long‑term supplier partnerships to ensure quality, innovation, and resilience.
• Lead commercial negotiations, contracts, and service‑level agreements in line with regulatory and sustainability standards.

Formulation Sourcing & Technical Oversight

• Lead sourcing, evaluation, and procurement of fragrance, cosmetic, and skincare formulations for NPD.
• Manage and guide our Chemical Formulations Expert and collaborate with external laboratories to assess performance and compliance.
• Manage sampling, testing, evaluation, and scale‑up processes through approved partners.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Act as the primary link between Marketing, NPD, Operations, Regulatory, and Finance to deliver successful new product launches, using ERP and project management tools as required.
• Drive NPD timelines, cost efficiency, and specification accuracy.
• Promote effective collaboration between creative, technical & supply chain teams.

Quality, Compliance & Sustainability

• Ensure adherence to EU/UK/US/Canada cosmetic regulatory frameworks for NPD.
• Lead supplier performance reviews, continuous improvement, and risk‑management initiatives.
• Advance sustainability objectives with focus on recyclability, environmental footprint, and ethical sourcing.
• Collaborate closely with our Quality & Regulatory Specialist to ensure full compliance with internal standards and external regulatory requirements.

Requirements

A combination of experience, skills and qualifications are necessary to succeed in the role:

Essential

• Minimum 7 years’ high level experience in managing and negotiating sourcing, procurement, packaging development, or technical New Product Development within the cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceutical, or food industries.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience managing technical specialists, including Packaging Technologist and Chemical Formulations Expert.
• Strong track record managing suppliers for both packaging and formulation.
• In‑depth experience and understanding of packaging materials, engineering, and development processes.
• Familiarity with management of formulation development workflows, stability testing, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with ERP and project management systems and implementing NPD projects within them.
• Confident negotiation, contract management, and project management capabilities and experience.
• Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline, to underpin and support the above requirements.
• Strategic yet pragmatic, able to balance vision with execution.
• Strong influencer and decision‑maker with technical credibility.
• Organised, proactive, and solutions‑oriented.
• Passionate about innovation, quality, and continuous improvement.

Desirable

Experience working with Irish, European & US supplier bases.

• Knowledge of sustainability frameworks and packaging compliance.
• Proficiency in cost‑benefit and risk analysis.
• Experience operating in fast‑paced FMCG or NPD environments.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a vibrant company with a strong growth trajectory and a close-knit team culture. This is a high-impact role where you’ll gain the opportunity to contribute to scaling our NPD and Sourcing strategy and ensure that we continue to meet and exceed our goals.

Benefits

• We have a hybrid working policy, so we allow some remote working. We have a standard minimum of 2 days in the office in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow.
• 20 Days Annual Leave
• Company pension scheme with company contribution
• Contribution to Gym membership
• Fully Paid Health Insurance (following completion of probation period)
• Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave (subject to service)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Employee Engagement Programme with Social Committee and frequent company events
• Free car parking