Assistant Manager - NPD

Location: Ernākulam

Role Purpose

Lead end-to-end new product development for consumer appliances & other products of V-Guard as need be with a focus mainly on kitchen appliances. Manage the product development through stage-gate execution, compliance requirements & certifications, supplier development, and launch readiness to deliver on-time, cost-effective, reliable, and energy-efficient products that delight Indian consumers and strengthen market share.

Role & responsibilities

Strategy & Roadmap
Define 12-24 month product roadmaps for various categories under appliances like Mixer grinder, cooktops, air fryers, OTGs, and other Small kitchen appliances align with brand positioning and market opportunity.
Build business cases with volume, pricing, margin, Cap Ex and tooling forecasts; secure approvals through stage-gate governance.

Consumer & Market Insights
Translate Indian consumer needs (regional needs, usage for small kitchen applications, safety expectations) into product requirements.
Support on identifying Benchmark competition, track BIS/BEE star ratings & requirements, feature trends, materials, and price points; run periodic VOC, NPS, and usage studies.

Product Development & Engineering
Drive concept-to-launch:
Product Roadmap/ Product Development Calendar → /UX → engineering design → prototyping → validation → certification → Scale-up.
Understand DFMEA/PFMEA, Design Verification & Plan, reliability test plans (Drop, surge, endurance), and manufacturability (DFM/DFA).
Understand CAD, BoM, tolerances, materials; ensure safety features (thermal cut-off, overload protection, food-contact compliance).

Compliance & Certification (India & Global )
Ensure BIS/ISI certification and IS standards compliance for relevant categories; coordinate with labs and auditors.
Understand BEE star labeling where applicable and support on documentation and testing.
Ensure IEC/ISO safety standards, RoHS/REACH, EPR, WPC/BIS for applicable Electronics/IoT modules & maintain technical files.

Supplier Development & Sourcing
Support in Identifying and qualifying suppliers/ODMs (India, China, ASEAN); run PPAP/APQP; negotiate tooling and NRE; drive localization and VAVE.
Support in setting CTQs, incoming quality plans, and escalation frameworks; monitor supplier OTD, PPM, and cost-out initiatives.

Quality & Reliability
Ensure to achieve reliability goals and warranty targets; recommend root-cause analysis (8D) and corrective actions for field issues.
Understand on control plans, process capability (CP/CPK), and first-pass yield improvements with manufacturing/QA.

Project & Program Management
Run stage-gate (Concept/Feasibility/Design/Validation/Pre-Launch/Launch) with clear deliverables, risks, and mitigations.
Manage timelines (MS Project), budgets, Cap Ex, tooling, and cross-functional dependencies across R&D, Sourcing, QA, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Service.

Costing & Value Engineering (VAVE)
Own product cost targets and margin; support teardown benchmarking and VA/VE to reduce COGS without compromising quality.
Drive localization (% BoM localized) and alternate supplier development to improve resilience and cost.

Sustainability & EPR
Ensure product development through required compliance as per India EPR guidelines for e-waste and plastic; integrate recyclability, energy efficiency, and repairability into design.
Track returns, material declarations, and eco-design initiatives.

Launch Readiness & Post-Launch
Coordinate packaging, user manuals (multi-language), spares/fixtures, service training, and pilot production ramp.
Monitor early-life performance, returns, and consumer feedback; implement quick-turn improvements and running changes.

Team Leadership
Lead and mentor a team of engineers (mechanical, electrical, electronics, firmware, testing); on…