About the role
Have a passion for product commercialisation and strategic growth? Are you seeking a new challenge?
We have a fabulous opportunity at DS Smith for a motivated, energetic and experienced professional to join us as Product Innovation Manager for our UK & Ireland Packaging business. This is a fantastic, highly visible role for the right candidate with a real opportunity to drive our strategic innovation and packaging solutions agenda forward in a dynamic and fast-paced business.
You will be the lead in driving the successful deployment and scaled commercial adoption of our packaging innovations, championing our products both internally and externally. You will also actively contribute to and lead on the delivery of revenue budgets and targeted sales plans, partnering with the sales and marketing sub-functions to translate customer and retailer pain points into clear commercial opportunities.
You will manage the localisation and refinement of centrally led market-sizing strategies while supporting our product portfolio offer through the Annual Business Planning process. By adopting a proactive approach to insight sharing and an innovative approach to customer engagement including; leading retail workshops, trade fairs, and high-impact pitches, you will ensure our strategic solutions mitigate real-world shopper and consumer challenges.
This role requires excellent stakeholder management skills at all levels of the organisation with the ability to influence and enthuse those around you across a matrix of cross-functional teams. Experience in managing financial KPIs , facilitating sales training, and navigating stage-gate development frameworks is the key to being successful in this role, alongside being a passionate and energetic advocate for high-quality packaging innovation across the business.
So, if you are detail-orientated, with strong project management skills and a flair for creativity then we might be looking for you!
About you
- Degree or equivalent in a related field (Product Management, Business, Marketing, or Sales)
- Relevant experience in a product management, commercial sales, or B2B marketing role, ideally within packaging or manufacturing
- Solid understanding of stage-gate processes, technical packaging limitations, and the ability to build and monitor robust revenue budgets
- Results-oriented with a proven track record of managing sales plans and driving the market adoption of strategic products
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and align with senior leadership
- Confident presenter and natural story-seller who can engage directly with customers and retailers to unlock commercial opportunities
- Agile, solutions-oriented, and comfortable managing change within an evolving, multi-cultural market environment
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Discretionary bonus
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Employee Discounts
- Cycle to work scheme
Location: This is a home-based role, with the need to travel to our site network across the UK.
About us
We’re DS Smith, the 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, 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.
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Skills Required
- Degree or equivalent in Product Management, Business, Marketing, Sales or related field
- Relevant experience in product management, commercial sales, or B2B marketing
- Experience within packaging or manufacturing (ideal)
- Solid understanding of stage-gate processes and technical packaging limitations
- Ability to build and monitor robust revenue budgets and manage financial KPIs
- Proven track record of managing sales plans and driving market adoption of strategic products
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across cross-functional teams and senior leadership
- Confident presenter and sales-facing storytelling skills; able to run workshops and high-impact pitches
- Detail-oriented with strong project management skills and ability to manage change in a multicultural environment
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
