The Innovation Manager will be responsible for developing and implementing NPD and innovation projects and will shape the long-term product roadmaps for our brands and categories in conjunction with the Innovation Controller.
To fill this role we are looking for a creative, strategic, and commercial thinker who has hands on innovation and product launch experience with a proven track record for delivering insight led NPD.
Core role responsibilities include:
- Own NPD and Innovation projects from concept to launch, across packaging and product workstreams.
- Responsible for identifying new opportunities, generating, and developing concepts and reviewing commercial viability of NPD and Innovation plans.
- Review shortlisting ideas and align on priorities and resource.
- Lead cross functional teams, and act as sponsor for taking projects through the stage gate process from ideation to post launch reviews. Including recommendations to stop projects that become not commercially viable.
- Create product and packaging developments and the review of recipes with NPD, technical and other key stakeholders.
- Create packaging design briefs and manage the design and artwork process through to approved to print.
- Develop compelling and unique product propositions which have a clearly defined target segment and need.
- Attendance and sign off for first production launches, if required.
- Innovation KPI’s including success rates and profitability targets.
- Work with the Innovation Controller on “big bets” and complete the briefing to the comms and brand teams for them to them to implement launch campaigns.
- Create and present innovation/NPD presentations, pre sell and retailer pitches.
- Continuously monitor and act on trends and keep a close eye on competitive activity in the marketplace, suggest new ways of working and regularly review working practices to deliver efficiency and speed to market.
What are we looking for?
- Marketing qualification or similar.
- Experience in innovation and product development roles.
- Experience with working to a Stage and Gate Process and Critical Paths.
- Experience of working with insights, brand teams and with design agencies/teams.
- Experience of commercial costings and setting pricing strategies.
- Experience of dealing with a mix of retail channels, including Grocery retailers.
- Good team working skills with the ability to interface and influence a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Creative, innovative self-starter.
- Commercially savvy, with strong analytics skills, comfortable in interpreting performance data and trends and can make compelling recommendations.
- Excellent organisation skills and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Problem solver with a positive and can-do attitude
- Thrives in a fast-paced and time pressured environment.
- Resilient, able to deal with challenges / objections confidently.
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