Product Manager (Tea)

Role Overview

The Product Manager is the custodian of the product lifecycle for all tea products by The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. You will be responsible for the end-to-end journey of our tea-from sourcing and blend development to commercial strategy and market launch. Your goal is to balance the heritage of our brand with innovative product strategies that drive revenue and market share across our retail and wholesale channels.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy & Lifecycle Management

• Assortment Planning: Define the product roadmap, balancing Heritage staples with innovative seasonal collections (e.g., CNY, Christmas) and Discovery blends.

• NPD Leadership: Lead the New Product Development (NPD) pipeline, managing timelines, budgets, and milestones from initial sensory cupping to final shelf placement.

• Portfolio Optimisation: Conduct regular Keep/Kill SKU rationalization based on sales data to ensure a lean, high-performing portfolio.

2. Market Intelligence & Consumer Insights

• Trend Analysis: Monitor global beverage shifts (e.g., wellness botanicals, cold-brew technology, sustainable packaging) to ensure the brand remains a market leader.

• Benchmarking: Analyse competitor activity and customer feedback to identify white space opportunities in both luxury retail and B2B sectors.

3. Commercial & Financial Performance

• P&L Management: Own the category's financial health. Define pricing strategies that maximise gross margins while remaining competitive for high-volume wholesale tenders.

• Value Engineering: Work with Finance and Supply Chain to optimise Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) without compromising the premium sensory profile.

4. Supply Chain & Quality Coordination

• Sourcing & Blending: Collaborate with procurement and master blenders to ensure the consistency of signature blends and the ethical sourcing of raw materials.

• Quality Gatekeeping: Act as the final authority on sensory quality, ensuring that every format-from loose leaf to pyramid sachet-meets the Clipper benchmark.

5. Stakeholder Management & Sales Enablement

• Subject Matter Expert (SME): Provide technical data, flavour maps, and brewing protocols to the Marketing and Sales teams to support storytelling and B2B pitches.

• Cross-functional Synergy: Bridge the gap between R&D, Design, and Logistics to ensure seamless product execution.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Experience: 3-5 years in Product/Category Management or R&D, ideally within Specialty F&B, Luxury Retail, or FMCG.

• Skills: Exceptional project management expertise, analytical mindset, and commercial acumen (P&L management).

• Knowledge: Deep understanding of tea origins, oxidation levels, and sensory evaluation. Formal certifications (e.g., Tea Sommelier or WSET) are a major advantage.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field.