UK Product Development Lead

Are you excited by innovation and inspired by possibility? Can you balance creativity with commercial thinking to bring product ideas to reality at pace and in profit?

Quarto creates inspiring books for adults and children published across the globe. As our Product Development Lead, you’ll be instrumental in ensuring we stay at the forefront of publishing innovation to drive sales and maximise both our profile and profit.  

Contract  

Full time, permanent position.

Salary

From £46,000 per year

Closing date 

Friday 28 March 2025

Working hours 

Your standard working hours will be 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 09.30 am to 5.30 pm. We currently operate a discretionary hybrid model, with three days in our London office and two working from home.

About the role 

As our Product Development Lead you will pioneer our innovation strategy to deliver exciting, interesting and profitable products to our global audience. You will be instrumental in achieving our ambition of best in class for innovation and award-winning product

What you will be involved in:

• Managing end to end Product Development / R&D across all imprints
• Defining scope and critical path for projects (including rule out milestones)
• Implementing handover documentation and process for live titles
• Driving creativity and innovation through workshops, seminars and education
• Enhancing communication and collaboration between departments
• Leading R&D meetings and put tracking systems in place for Quarto
• Providing training, skills development and mentoring for Production department

About you 

You will be a master of product development with a proven track record of safe and successful product delivery. You will be highly organized and detail-oriented with experience of project management and tools to support effective tracking and reporting on projects. You will ideally have 4 – 5 years’ experience in a similar role.

You will be independent and resourceful with a calm, solution focused approach that inspires confidence and trust. You will bring a strong network of suppliers and printers, with the ability to engage with them on innovations and cutting-edge solutions

You will be able to show you can: 

• Be creative in your thinking and problem solving
• Streamline process and improve speed from conception to final specification and delivery of product
• Demonstrate expertise in safety testing and relevant legislative requirements in a global consumer market
• Bring knowledge and experience of global print and component suppliers
• Become a trusted advisor to stakeholders; able to influence and add value
• Establish and maintain relationships with Production Director and SLT via transparent communication and oversight of your business area
• Establish and maintain organisational excellence

What we can offer

A supportive, open environment with development opportunities, as well as the following benefits: 

• 25 days paid holiday per year (increasing up to 30 days per year), plus bank holidays
• Cultural appreciation day (to honour a cultural holiday which is significant to you, separate to your holiday entitlement)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts on selected shops, retailers, and restaurants
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Summer hours
• Free books scheme
• Active social and diversity committees
• Open plan, hot desking office environment

How to apply 

Please send a CV and cover letter to talent@quarto.com by the closing date and state the vacancy name in the email subject title.

Ensure you cover the following:

• Your motivation and what appeals to you about this particular role
• What key skills, experience and achievements you have that you think are relevant to this role, and why. Please provide examples of how you have used or demonstrated those.
• Where you saw the vacancy advertised

All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for the vacancy.

We employ individuals based on their abilities and welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, belief, age, or sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we aim to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. Therefore, we encourage you to inform us of any reasonable adjustments you may require during your interview process. Please note, you only need to disclose information that you are comfortable sharing in order for us to accommodate your request.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we only be able to respond to candidates selected for interview.