Job Title: Head of Innovation Design Lab
This position has now been filled, but has been left on our website as we have other similar vacancies on an ongoing basis that might interest you.
Our client is currently going through a landmark period on its timeline. Expanding its product offering, it is looking for a leader with vision and drive to head up its new innovation design lab. This is an unmissable opportunity to build a new innovation capability from the ground up that will drive the future of food packaging for our client and its partners, and be recognised as a driver of change.
In this role you will be responsible for setting up all aspects of the new Innovation Design Lab. You will be a recognised industry leader in packaging innovation and skilled at leveraging design thinking and innovation approaches to develop future packaging opportunities and solutions that are consumer relevant, built on market and category insights and enabled by science and technologies. You will be commercially savvy and a skilled communicator to ensure the Lab is central to the growth of the company and its partners and position our client as an innovation catalyst.
Key Responsibilities
- Accountable for creating a pipeline of Design Lab innovation projects that support the company and partners long-term innovation goals.
- Managing projects from scoping to delivery, engaging key customers and internal stakeholders to set up activities for success.
- Be a champion for insight‑led innovation by partnering with the Market Intelligence Consumer Insights team to identify customer and consumer opportunities.
- Partner with R&D, Innovation, and technology experts across the company to enable industry‑leading and holistic future packaging solutions.
- Connect technology venturing and scouting activities to brief innovation challenges and inspire solutions.
- Partner with sales teams to commercialise the Future Packaging Lab and position the company as an innovation catalyst.
- Subject matter expert in design thinking and sprints, including agile innovation methods to enable rapid framing of challenges, insight identification, sense‑making, solution development, prototyping and consumer testing – Provide support directly to business segments for their innovation projects.
- Develop internal capability for small‑volume prototyping (test and learn across different technologies).
- Build and manage an external design agency network to support all design, prototyping and consumer research activities.
- Translate and scale Future Pack Lab projects into business opportunities.
Key Success Factors and Qualifications
15+ years’ experience of working in the packaging industry / FMCG R&D as an innovation leader.
- Expert Innovation and portfolio management.
- Extensive experience in design strategy, design management and design thinking activities.
- Inspirational people leader with experience of developing new capabilities and team start‑up.
- Customer focus and drive for results to ensure the commercial viability of the Lab enterprise.
- Exceptional communication skills to inspire stakeholders on the future of packaging.
- Ability to work across functions and businesses, driving teams without direct authority.
- Entrepreneurial spirit to make things happen.
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