Product Development Specialist

Product Development Specialist | Beauty & Fragrance
Mexico City | Hybrid (3 days in-office)
KOS ESSENCE is the beauty and fragrance brand created by Mexican superstar and entrepreneur Kenia Os.
With best-selling products across Mexico's leading retailers, exponential growth, and a powerful connection with a new generation of beauty consumers, KOS ESSENCE is quickly becoming one of the most exciting brands in the Mexican beauty industry.
Driven by creativity, innovation, and a bold vision for the future, we're on a mission to become the next globally recognized Latin beauty and fragrance brand.
ABOUT THE ROLE We're looking for a creative, highly organized, and beauty-obsessed Product Development Specialist to join our team during this exciting stage of growth.
Reporting directly to the Creative Product Director, you'll play a key role in bringing our next generation of beauty and fragrance products to life.
You'll be involved in the entire product development journey, from trend forecasting, concept creation, and formulation to packaging, supplier management, production, and market launch.
This role combines creativity, technical expertise, commercial awareness, and strong project management skills.
We're looking for someone who doesn't just follow beauty trends, but understands how to turn them into the next must-have product.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Manage and support end-to-end New Product Development (NPD), from initial concept to commercialization.
Research global beauty, fragrance, ingredient, packaging, and consumer trends to identify new product opportunities.
Develop product concepts, moodboards, competitive benchmarks, and innovation proposals.
Coordinate formulation, fragrance development, sampling, product testing, and approvals.
Evaluate product performance, sensorial attributes, quality, and overall consumer experience.
Translate creative concepts into technically feasible and commercially viable products.
Identify new ingredients, technologies, formats, and innovations that can elevate our product portfolio.
Packaging & Technical Development Coordinate primary and secondary packaging development with local and international manufacturers.
Evaluate packaging materials, finishes, decoration techniques, technical specifications, and production feasibility.
Review prototypes, technical drawings, artwork, and pre-production samples.
Ensure packaging meets quality, functionality, aesthetic, and regulatory requirements.
Oversee packaging development timelines and coordinate technical approvals before production.
Manage day-to-day communication with local and international suppliers, manufacturers, fragrance houses, and packaging partners.
Request and evaluate quotations, MOQs, production lead times, samples, and technical specifications.
Support supplier negotiations, product costing, margin analysis, and cost optimization initiatives.
Partner closely with the Purchasing team on purchase orders, production schedules, and supplier follow-ups.
Identify new manufacturing partners, materials, technologies, and sourcing opportunities.
Ensure alignment between product quality, production feasibility, cost targets, and launch timelines.
Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration Manage multiple product development projects simultaneously, ensuring deadlines, budgets, and quality standards are met.
Build and maintain detailed project timelines, trackers, technical documentation, and approval processes.
Collaborate closely with Marketing, Creative, Purchasing, Operations, and Commercial teams.
Anticipate development challenges, identify risks, and proactively implement solutions.
Coordinate product development milestones from initial brief through production and launch.
Support product presentations, innovation proposals, and launch planning.
Ensure consistency between approved concepts, final products, and brand positioning.
Regulatory Compliance & Quality Ensure products and packaging comply with applicable cosmetic regulations and industry standards.
Coordinate regulatory documentation, ingredient information, INCI lists, labeling requirements, product claims, and technical specifications.
Apply knowledge of Mexican cosmetic regulations, including relevant COFEPRIS requirements and labeling standards.
Support compliance with international cosmetic regulations, particularly U. S. FDA/Mo CRA requirements.
Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to ensure product safety, quality, and regulatory readiness.
Stay informed about evolving regulatory requirements for domestic and international markets.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR All requirements are essential: 3–5+ years of professional experience in product development, innovation, or NPD within the beauty industry.
Previous experience working directly for a beauty, cosmetics, skincare, p