Sr. Product Research & Development Manager, Worldwide Grocery Stores, Private Brands, APAC

Worldwide Grocery Stores (WWGS) is a global retail organization dedicated to revolutionizing the grocery shopping experience through enhanced efficiency quality and affordability. At its core WWGS Private Brands (PB) serves as a crucial strategic division that develops sources and manages proprietary food products for both Whole Foods Market (WFM) and Amazon-branded lines across all geographic regions.

Operating as a unified force Private Brands supports both North American and International operations by leveraging cross-functional expertise in product development sourcing sensory evaluation commercialization and quality assurance to bring products to market end-to-end across all WFM and Amazon channels. This collaborative structure enables WWGS to deliver high-quality innovative products while maintaining operational excellence across diverse global marketsrapidly scaling its food portfolio without compromising on quality standards or process efficiency.

WWGS PB APAC team manages byAmazon and Whole Foods Market Exclusive brands including 365. We lead the growth of our Food PB assortment. We develop and execute the food PB expansion and growth strategy to support broader Grocery efforts across Core Consumables Amazon Fresh Quick Commerce and Sub-Same Day Grocery by working across multiple channels and partner teams.

Sr. Product Research & Development Manager WWGS PB APAC is an entrepreneurial creative and data-driven role. The ideal candidate will be customer-focused a proven self-starter and have a demonstrated ability to innovate. This role will be responsible for supporting developing and executing product research development and sensory initiatives in support of WWGS/WFMs retail objectives. Also this role conducts product-related customer research performs data analysis and works with WWGS/JP leadership to develop and position new products. We are looking for someone who combines a passion for consumers and food with a willingness to move fast and experiment often.

Additionally this role requires the ability to influence multiple organizations including WWGS Core Consumables Amazon Fresh Express Mart Quick Commerce Food Safety Legal Operations and Marketing. A strong project management skill is essential. Sr. Product Research & Development Manager will establish drive and strengthen relationships with both key private brand suppliers and internal stakeholders.

At Amazon youll work alongside the latest AI and GenAI tools that are increasingly woven into how teams operate: from AI-powered capabilities that accelerate decision-making to Generative AI that helps you focus on work that truly matters. Youll have opportunities and resources to develop AI fluency at your own pace with continuous learning built into the culture.


Key job responsibilities
Business Ownership & Analytics
Lead product-related customer research and perform data analysis
Identify market trends and consumer insights to inform strategy product development briefs and business cases
Manage full product lifecycle from strategic ideation through commercialization launch and in-market optimization
Build and maintain long-term and annual product roadmap
Monitor and respond to customer feedback and sales metrics
Conduct weekly monthly and quarterly business reviews with data-driven insights and root cause analysis
Develop and maintain product dashboards with KPIs to track progress against goals
Optimize the critical Ps (Product Price Placement Promotion) working with partner teams to bring products to life effectively
Make data-informed decisions leveraging both qualitative and quantitative customer insights
Collaborate with NA EU JP Category Merchant stakeholders to achieve financial plans and category objectives

Product Strategy & Development
Own end-to-end product lifecycle working backwards from customer needs to develop compelling product roadmaps
Serve as subject matter expert within the private labeling space understanding supplier landscape and optimizing portfolio
Drive new product creation and renovation of existing products to optimize total portfolio against business objectives
Partner with Legal Quality and Food Safety to bring products to market efficiently while managing risk
Lead product development including category insights formulation development with suppliers cooking preparation sample presentations and first production management

Sourcing Excellence
Develop and nurture strategic supplier partnerships to drive innovation and operational excellence
Establish and own relationships with key strategic suppliers to deliver product roadmap
Develop methodology for determining optimal assemblers and co-manufacturers for short and long term
Lead negotiation strategies to deliver against business objectives (safety quality cost delivery) and achieve sustainable supplier relationships
Implement supplier score carding and performance management systems to ensure quality sustainability and business outcomes

Product Experience Optimization
Drive packaging innovation that enhances customer experience while supporting sustainability goals
Influence product placement decisions through data-driven insights and customer decision tree methodology

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborate with and influence cross-functional teams and leaders
Communicate represent and uphold WWGS core values and leadership principles
Demonstrate bias for action ownership mentality and customer obsession in all activities



- Bachelors degree or 5 years of professional experience
- Experience using data to influence business decisions
- Experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver projects on tight deadlines
- 5 years of experience in product management sourcing or category management
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills (English & Japanese) with experience negotiating and engaging stakeholders across multiple business units and senior management
- Both Japanese at Native level and English at Business level required

- Experience driving direction and alignment with cross-functional teams
- 3 years of grocery leadership or 6 years of customer-facing retail hospitality or grocery industry experience

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