Design for Innovation Specialist

Drive the DS Smith’s Innovation Agenda, delivering our business value proposition to customers.
Instigate, develop and deliver proactive, insight-based innovation and management of the innovation pipeline.
May be responsible for ideating new solutions, producing high-quality visuals, prototypes and contributing to the iterative concept analysis and testing process.
Manage projects/resources as required.
Innovation Specialist I covers medium to large multi-site business unit(s) or may work at the Divisional or Group level.

About the role 

Be a game changer as we invent, re-imagine and redefine packaging

We are seeking a Design for Innovation Specialist, who’ll be responsible for the daily management and delivery of programmes and projects across the UK North Cluster. The Design for Innovation Specialists will ensure we deliver added value through innovation, continuous improvement projects, market insight and research. It’s a very exciting time to join, as we have committed to investing in our future across our strategic growth enablers within Innovation (R&D), Sustainability and Digital & Data.

The work will deliver a unique, best-in-class proposition, which will excite customers to want to work with us. They will be able to meet with customers, discuss ideas and offer relevant solutions 

Reporting to the Cluster D&I Manager, you will drive the Innovation Agenda using our unique solution driven approach to deliver our Value Proposition to Customers whilst achieving profitable growth for DS Smith.

Projects will encompass but not be limited to the following key strategic areas:

• Operational excellence and continuous improvement

• DS Smith Sustainability commitments

• Support our Sales Team during opportunities that arise, scoping out technical requirements and presenting the best solution that maximises the chances of successful conversion

• Support the team in onboarding new business to ensure we ‘get it right first time ‘

• Support and when applicable lead Impact and PackRight Centre visits

• Deliver margin enhancement projects and contractual VE agreements.

• Provide technical support to customer’s, both remotely and at their premises

• Walk Customer lines identifying, proposing and managing ongoing technical improvements.

• Deliver the innovation agenda to develop commercially viable solutions aligned to the insight, category management and specific customer challenges

• Support the IC content development, Strategic Innovation Sessions and bespoke Packright customer sessions 

The role will require monitoring and co-ordination of the key projects that are aligned to Design and Innovation strategic goals. You will regularly review to ensure they are on track to deliver the committed results and ensure successful completion of projects.

About you

• Excellent project management track record

• Implementation of continuous improvement and value engineering programmes.

• Experience in the Packaging industry, ideally in a technical/design role

• Good technical understanding of our materials and box performance factors

• Strong communication, presentation and organisational skills

• Enthusiastic, influential and strives for excellence

• An ability to develop and execute alternative solutions

• Excellent analytical and problem solving

• Excellent project and time management skills

• Good communication skills – written and verbal

• Manage and prioritise your activity to maximise value creation, business retention and profitable growth. 

• Commit to your personal development programs for continuous improvement

Benefits

• Competitive salary

• Discretionary bonus

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays 

• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection

• Sharesave scheme

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Employee Discounts

• Cycle to work scheme

Location

Remote role (ideally along the M8 corridor Glasgow / Edinburgh) with regular travel to DS Smith and customer sites

About us 

We’re DS Smith, the FTSE100 company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, proudly employing over 30,000 people, and supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America. 

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. 

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.