Product Development Officer

About the role

We are seeking a Product Development Officer to support our Zambian ceramics factory in creating and launching new tile products. The role bridges market insights, design work and factory execution to deliver successful product launches.

Key responsibilities

• Communicate daily with the factory and product manager to ensure timely delivery of product work.
• Prepare new‑design survey reports and coordinate the production of design samples.
• Organise weekly foreign product meetings and report progress via email.
• Gather customer feedback on new products and track changes in market needs.
• Monitor competing products and provide weekly updates on imports.
• Visit the market twice a week to understand customer requirements and generate product concepts.
• Manage the full product development cycle: research, factory proofing, physical testing, demand collection, production scheduling, and sales follow‑up.
• Produce weekly and monthly reports and distribute them to product, sales and market teams.

Required profile

• University degree in a related field.
• At least 1 year of product design experience with professional knowledge of tiles.
• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Ability to work independently and solve problems effectively.
• Team‑player with strong communication and coordination skills.
• Experience in FMCG is highly valued.

Required skills

• Adobe Photoshop
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint