Innovation Manager

Church & Dwight UK Ltd.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

bonus

24 days annual leave

pension matched up to 9%

life assurance cover

health cash plan

Job summary

Church & Dwight UK Ltd. is seeking an Innovation Manager in London to shape the future of our Personal Care portfolio.

This role leads consumer-led innovation programmes, partners with Marketing, R&D, Sales and international markets, and drives sustainable growth across Europe. You will identify consumer needs, spot market opportunities and translate insights into compelling product concepts, managing projects from idea to launch readiness in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Significant innovation experience in a regional, international or global consumer goods business.
• Proven ability to lead consumer insight-led NPD from concept to launch.
• Strong understanding of consumer research, concept development and commercialization.
• Experience building business cases, managing budgets and cross-functional collaboration.
• Understanding of technical, operational and manufacturing aspects in Personal Care.

Responsibilities

• Lead innovation projects from concept development through launch readiness.
• Identify consumer insights, trends and unmet needs to generate opportunities.
• Manage qualitative and quantitative consumer research programmes.
• Translate insights into compelling product propositions and briefs.
• Build robust business cases covering commercial, financial and operational factors.
• Collaborate with Marketing, R&D, Sales and external agencies to develop scalable concepts.
• Lead packaging development and support Stage Gate processes.
• Present recommendations and project updates to senior stakeholders.
• Manage budgets and ensure timely delivery of programmes.

Skills

Innovation management

Consumer insights

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

A collective energy and ambition. A place where you can make a real difference.

We’re a company that genuinely cares about our people, our products, our consumers and the environment.

Our unique, informal culture champions courage, determination and collaboration. Knowing we have an open and supportive team means each of us has the freedom to take responsibility and ownership. We have a shared passion to work hard, innovate and push boundaries.

United by the belief that when we strive for growth, anything is possible. While we might not be the largest company in our industry, we believe we can have the biggest impact because: Together We Have the Power to Win.

Are you passionate about innovation? Do you love uncovering consumer insights and transforming them into products that drive growth? Ready to make your mark in Beauty & Personal Care across Europe?

If that sounds like you, we have an exciting opportunity for an Innovation Manager to join our European Marketing team and play a key role in shaping the future of our Personal Care portfolio. Working closely with the European Head of Innovation, you'll lead the development of consumer-led innovation programmes that bring meaningful new products to market and deliver sustainable growth.

This role is based in our London Office and allows for home working up to 3 days per week.

As Innovation Manager, you'll be responsible for identifying consumer needs, spotting market opportunities, building compelling product concepts, and leading projects from idea through to launch readiness. This is a highly collaborative role working across Marketing, R&D, Sales, Finance, Procurement and international markets to deliver commercially successful innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead innovation projects from concept development through to launch readiness.
• Identify consumer insights, market trends and unmet needs to generate winning innovation opportunities.
• Manage qualitative and quantitative consumer research programmes.
• Translate insights into compelling product propositions, claims and development briefs.
• Build robust business cases covering commercial, financial and operational considerations.
• Partner with Marketing, R&D, Sales and external agencies to develop scalable concepts.
• Lead packaging development and support Stage Gate processes.
• Present recommendations and project updates to senior stakeholders.
• Manage project budgets and ensure innovation programmes are delivered on time and to a high standard.

Education & Experience:

• Significant innovation experience within a regional, international or global consumer goods business.
• Personal Care experience strongly preferred, with haircare experience highly desirable.
• Proven track record of leading consumer insight-led NPD projects from concept through to launch.
• Strong understanding of consumer research, concept development and commercialisation.
• Experience developing business cases, managing project budgets and working cross-functionally.
• Understanding of the technical, operational and manufacturing considerations involved in Personal Care product development.

We're looking for a creative and commercially minded innovation professional who thrives on turning insight into action. You'll be a confident project leader with strong consumer understanding, excellent communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions and markets. Curious, resilient and highly organised, you'll enjoy balancing consumer needs, commercial opportunity and operational feasibility to deliver successful innovation programmes.

This role offers the opportunity to work on exciting innovation projects across Europe, helping to shape the future of our Personal Care portfolio while collaborating with talented teams across multiple markets.

This role works Monday – Friday, 37-hours per week.

In return we offer a competitive package, including a bonus, 24 days annual leave, a pension matched up to 9%, life assurance cover and membership of a health cash plan.

Benefits:

• bonus
• 24 days annual leave
• pension matched up to 9%
• life assurance cover
• membership of a health cash plan

For more information on our company, our brands and our culture visit us at http://www.churchdwight.co.uk/