About the Role
At DS Smith, innovation is at the heart of how we help customers solve complex packaging challenges and deliver more sustainable outcomes. We are looking for an experienced Innovation Specialist to join our Strategic Accounts team, working with some of the world's leading FMCG brands, including Mars, P&G, and Mondelez.
This is a customer-facing role where you'll combine your packaging expertise, commercial awareness, and creativity to identify new opportunities, deliver value-driven solutions, and strengthen key customer partnerships. Working closely with customers and internal stakeholders, you'll lead innovation projects from concept through to implementation, helping customers improve efficiency, reduce costs, optimise automation, and achieve their sustainability goals.
Using DS Smith's innovation methodologies, including PackRight®, you'll develop insight-led packaging solutions that create measurable value for both customers and DS Smith. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of strategic customer relationships, influence large-scale innovation programmes, and play a key role in shaping the future of sustainable packaging.
Key Responsibilities
Innovation & Customer Engagement
Develop customer innovation pipelines and turn insights into commercial opportunities.
Facilitate customer workshops, Innovation Days and PackRight® sessions.
Drive innovation activity and KPI delivery across strategic FMCG accounts.
Partner with Sales and Account Managers to identify growth and value creation opportunities.
Value Creation
Identify and deliver cost-saving, efficiency and sustainability improvements.
Develop innovative packaging solutions that create measurable value for customers and DS Smith.
Utilise customer and market insights to uncover new opportunities and demonstrate TCO benefits.
Supply Chain & Operational Excellence
Provide technical support, problem solving and line-side customer assistance.
Improve customer line efficiencies through packaging and automation optimisation.
Manage onboarding, value engineering and continuous improvement projects.
Support business reviews and coordinate automation initiatives.
Sustainability
Champion circular design principles and sustainable packaging innovation.
Support customers in achieving their sustainability and environmental goals.
Collaboration & Development
Work closely with Sales, Design, Operations and Innovation teams to deliver customer solutions.
Contribute to pipeline reviews, opportunity prioritisation and best-practice sharing.
Continuously develop technical, commercial and innovation capabilities.
About You
We're looking for an experienced packaging professional who combines creativity, technical expertise, and commercial awareness.
You'll bring:
5+ years' experience in an Innovation, Design, or Development role within the packaging industry.
Strong corrugated packaging knowledge and experience working with FMCG customers.
A proven track record of delivering innovative, value-driven packaging solutions.
Understanding of production lines, automation, and manufacturing processes.
Experience managing projects from opportunity identification through to implementation.
Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Proficiency in ArtiosCAD, CAD and visualisation software, and Microsoft Office.
Desirable:
Packaging or Product Design qualification (or equivalent experience).
Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, or Health & Safety qualifications.
Experience in value engineering and continuous improvement methodologies.
Personal Attributes:
Creative, proactive, and customer-focused.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Collaborative team player with excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
Passionate about innovation, sustainability, and delivering results.
Benefits
Competitive salary
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
Employee Assistance Programme
Employee Discounts
Cycle to work scheme
Location: Remote (UK Based) with approximately 40% customer travel
Hours: Monday – Friday – 09:00 - 1700
Contract: Perm
About us
We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Fair recruitment at DS Smith
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
#LI-CE
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in an Innovation, Design, or Development role within the packaging industry
- Strong corrugated packaging knowledge and experience working with FMCG customers
- Proven track record of delivering innovative, value-driven packaging solutions
- Understanding of production lines, automation, and manufacturing processes
- Experience managing projects from opportunity identification through implementation
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills
- Proficiency in ArtiosCAD, CAD and visualisation software, and Microsoft Office
- Packaging or Product Design qualification, or equivalent experience
- Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, or Health and Safety qualifications
- Experience in value engineering and continuous improvement methodologies
DS Smith Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about DS Smith and has not been reviewed or approved by DS Smith.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered okay to good across many roles, with some plants indicating competitive or above‑market hourly rates for operators and similar positions. This supports a broadly fair perception of base pay even as experiences vary by site.
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Healthcare Strength — U.S. offerings include day‑one medical/vision and dental, employer HSA contributions, and 100% company‑paid life and short/long‑term disability, alongside an EAP. Some role descriptions also highlight mental‑health and fertility options.
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Retirement Support — Packages commonly reference a 401(k) with company match and, in some locations, pension eligibility or company‑funded retirement contributions. This positions retirement benefits as a meaningful component of total rewards.
DS Smith Insights
What We Do
DS Smith provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services with a commitment to sustainability and a circular economy. Our core purpose is to Redefine Packaging for a Changing World, and our expert teams work closely with like-minded partners to incorporate renewable resources for products that minimize our environmental impact, reduce complexity and increase profitability through supply chain optimization
