Band: Senior Manager

Department: Sales & Marketing

Reporting to: VP - Sales & Marketing

Age: Less than 45 Yrs

Experience & Qualification:

- Engineering or Ph.d Candidate

- Engineering Background - Tier 1 Institute (around 6 to 8 yrs)

- Engineering Background - Other Institutes (10+ Yrs / Not more than 18 Yrs)

- 10+ years of experience in Product development, design-led innovation or Consumer Product categories.

- Exp Stationery / Notebooks industry experience (Mandate)

- Exposure to FMCG/FMCD Product development, Packaging innovation, or design consultancy - Value added

- Degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Engineering, or related fields preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

A. Innovation & Product Strategy:

- Lead the product innovation roadmap for notebooks and adjacent stationery categories.

- Drive premiumisation through material innovation, design upgrades and enhanced consumer experience.

- Partner with Marketing to integrate consumer insights, trend analysis, U&A findings and field feedback into product strategy.

B. End-to-End Product Development:

- Own the full lifecycle from concept to development, feasibility, prototyping, validation, testing, and costing to launch readiness.

- Drive excellence in product design, cover aesthetics, formats, substrate choices, ruling / layout innovations, and packaging systems.

- Champion sustainability-led product development including recycled materials, eco-friendly substrates, alternate laminates, and responsible packaging.

C. Technical & Manufacturing Collaboration:

- Work closely with Manufacturing teams to ensure technical feasibility, scalable production, quality consistency, and cost effectiveness.

- Oversee prototyping, trials, and performance testing including durability, printing compatibility, binding performance, and product safety.

D. Vendor Development:

- Lead vendor identification, capability assessment, and development for materials, printing, binding, and packaging.

- Strengthen external partnerships for design, materials innovation, and sustainable substrates.

E. Quality Standards & Compliance:

- Ensure adherence to:

1. FSC/PEFC Certified Materials

2. Product Safety norms applicable to school / office stationery

- Work with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance documentation and audits for vendors/materials.

F. Commercialisation & Post-Launch Review:

- Ensure high-quality product handover to Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturing for launch execution.

- Track in-market performance, consumer feedback, and iterate/improve products post-launch.

Technical Competencies Expected:

- Strong understanding of Paper Substrates, GSM, formats, binding technologies, finishes.

- Knowledge of Printing processes - offset, flexo, digital printing.

- Hands-on experience with notebook manufacturing processes (ruling, cutting, folding, stitching, binding, finishing).

- Deep understanding of sustainability materials, recycled paper, eco-friendly coatings/inks.

- Ability to translate design and concept requirements into manufacturable solutions.

Leadership & Behavioral Competencies:

- High execution discipline with strong Project Management capabilities.

- Collaborative working style with strong cross-functional influence.

- High ownership, accountability, and bias for action.

- Comfort working with diverse manufacturing set ups and solving on-ground technical challenges.

- Strong aesthetic sensibility and attention to design detail.