Product Development Manager - Protective Workwear

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Hours: Monday–Friday, 37.5 hours per week

Hybrid: 1 day per week working from home

• 25 days holiday (plus an additional 5 days after 10 years’ service)
• Company pension scheme
• Free onsite parking

Reporting to: Head of Product, Ethics, Compliance & Sustainability (PECS)

We are looking for an experienced Product Development Manager (7+ years in Product Development) to lead Pulsar’s product development function across our high-performance protective workwear ranges.

This role combines people leadership, technical expertise, and hands‑on product ownership, with specific responsibility for our Flame Resistant (FR) and Electric Arc ranges, and potential oversight of the Evolution range, which represents PULSAR®’s most highly specified and feature‑led products.

You will manage and support a team of Product Developers, ensuring products are developed to the highest standards of performance, compliance, quality, and commercial viability, while maintaining robust critical paths and on‑time delivery.

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Product Developers, overseeing day‑to‑day workload, priorities, and performance.
• Ensure Product Developers are effectively delivering their responsibilities across product research, development, testing, certification, and bulk production.
• Supporting Head of PECS in best practice standards for product development processes, documentation, and technical accuracy.
• Support the professional development of the Product Development team through coaching, feedback, and knowledge sharing.

• Take direct ownership of PULSAR®’s FR and Electric Arc product ranges, acting as the technical authority throughout development and production.
• Oversee the Evolution range, ensuring highly specified, feature‑rich products meet performance, compliance, and commercial requirements.
• Ensure all products are fit for purpose, meet relevant industry standards, and align with brand positioning and customer expectations.
• Lead technical decision‑making for complex products, materials, constructions, and performance requirements.
• Drive innovation across assigned ranges through market research, competitor analysis, and exploration of new materials, technologies, and garment features.
• Work closely with fabric mills and suppliers to source and develop materials that improve performance, durability, sustainability, and cost efficiency.
• Oversee fabric treatments and advanced garment technologies where required.
• Ensure cost prices are reviewed and managed to achieve margin targets across all ranges.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks early in the development process, ensuring compliance and on‑time delivery.

• Manage the product critical paths across all ranges, ensuring Product Developers maintain agreed timelines.
• Monitor progress across sampling, testing, certification, and production, proactively addressing risks, delays, and bottlenecks.
• Provide accurate weekly updates to the Head PECS on development status, risks, and mitigation plans. Implement changing prioritises as required by the Head of PECS.
• Ensure cross‑functional alignment with Operations, Sales, and Marketing to support successful product launches.

• Oversee the creation and accuracy of all product documentation, including BOMs, technical files, test reports, and certification documentation.
• Ensure consistency and accuracy of specifications, labelling, and compliance documentation across all ranges.
• Support and review sampling, fit sessions, and pre‑production approvals where required, particularly for complex or high‑risk products.
• Ensure robust version control and data accuracy across product documentation.

• Ensure all products comply with relevant standards including EN ISO 20471, RIS 3279 TOM, EN 343, ISO 13688, and applicable FR and Electric Arc standards.
• Maintain strong working relationships with testing houses and certification bodies.
• Monitor changes in standards and regulations, assessing impact and leading implementation across existing and future products.
• Work closely…