Associate Program Manager

Associate Program Manager – Customer Experience & New Product Development Department: Program Management Office (PMO) Location: Vashi, Navi Mumbai Reports To: Program Manager – Customer Experience & New Product Development About KAIN: KAIN is one of India's fastest-growing contract manufacturers in the beauty and personal care industry, partnering with leading brands across skincare, haircare, bodycare, and colour cosmetics. We believe our customers deserve more than a manufacturer—they deserve an execution partner. To deliver this experience, we are building a best-in-class Program Management Office (PMO) that owns every customer project from concept to commercial launch. Role Summary: As an Associate Program Manager, you will be the operational backbone of customer projects. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, track timelines, manage customer communications, and ensure that every milestone is delivered on time. You will work closely with Sales, R&D, Packaging Development, Procurement, Regulatory, Quality, Planning, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to transform customer briefs into successful commercial products. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys solving problems, and loves bringing structure to complex projects. Key Responsibilities: Customer Experience: - Serve as the primary day-to-day coordinator for assigned customer accounts. - Build strong relationships with customers through proactive communication. - Provide regular updates on project status, timelines, and risks. - Coordinate customer meetings and document action items. - Ensure timely collection of approvals, feedback, and decisions. - Escalate issues before they impact project timelines. New Product Development Coordination: Drive projects through every stage of development, including: - Customer brief review - Internal project kick-off - Product development - Packaging development - Sample planning and dispatch - Customer feedback tracking - Formula revisions - Stability and compatibility studies - Artwork approvals - Regulatory documentation - Costing approvals - Commercialization planning Monitor each activity to ensure adherence to agreed timelines. Cross Functional Product Development: Coordinate daily with: - Sales & Business Development - Research & Development - Packaging Development - Procurement - Regulatory Affairs - Quality Assurance & Quality Control - Planning - Manufacturing - Warehouse - Supply Chain - Finance Ensure all teams remain aligned on priorities, deadlines, and dependencies. Project Planning & Governance: - Create and maintain detailed project timelines. - Track milestone completion and critical paths. - Maintain project trackers and dashboards. - Conduct regular project review meetings. - Identify bottlenecks and coordinate timely resolution. - Maintain documentation, action logs, and meeting minutes. Continuous Improvement: - Recommend process improvements to reduce development timelines. - Standardize documentation and workflows. - Improve customer communication processes. - Support implementation of digital project management tools. - Contribute to the development of PMO best practices. KPI: Customer Experience - Customer response time - Customer satisfaction (CSAT) - Number of customer escalations - On-time communication Project Delivery - Projects delivered on schedule - Milestone adherence - Action closure rate - Critical issue resolution time NPD Performance - Brief-to-first-sample turnaround time - Sample approval cycle time - Commercialization lead time - First-time-right launch percentage Dashboard Excellence - Dashboard accuracy - Documentation completeness - Cross-functional SLA adherence - Project data integrity Qualifications: Education - B.Pharm - B.Tech/B.E. (Chemical, Biotechnology, Industrial Engineering) - B.Sc./M.Sc. (Chemistry, Cosmetic Science) - MBA (Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain) - Equivalent qualifications with relevant experience Experience: - 1–4 years of experience in Cosmetics, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Manufacturing, or Consumer Products. - Fresh graduates with strong internships and exceptional project management skills may also be considered. Skills: - Project coordination - Microsoft Excel - PowerPoint - ERP systems - ClickUp, Monday.com, Asana, or similar project management tools - Data analysis and reporting - Documentation management Behavioural Competancies: - Exceptional organizational skills - Strong written and verbal communication - Customer-centric mindset - High attention to detail - Ownership and accountability - Ability to manage multiple priorities - Strong follow-up and execution discipline - Analytical thinking - Collaborative approach - Ability to work under pressure What Success Looks Like? Within your first 12 months, you will: - Independently manage a portfolio of customer projects. - Coordinate multiple concurrent NPD and commercialization programs. - Consistently deliver projects on time with minimal escalations. - Build trusted relationships with customers and internal stakeholders. - Improve project visibility through structured reporting and dashboards. - Contribute to reducing development timelines through better coordination and governance. Why Join Kain? At KAIN, you'll work at the intersection of innovation, manufacturing, and customer success. As part of our Program Management Office, you'll gain end-to-end exposure to product development, collaborate with cross-functional experts, and play a pivotal role in bringing new beauty and personal care products to market. If you're passionate about execution, problem-solving, and delivering exceptional customer experiences, this is an opportunity to make a tangible impact while growing your career in one of India's fastest-growing beauty manufacturing companies.