Innovation Specialist

DS Smith; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

DS Smith is seeking an experienced Innovation Specialist to join our Strategic Accounts team in the UK. You will lead innovation projects from concept to implementation for top FMCG brands, driving value, efficiency and sustainability.

You will collaborate with Sales, Design, Operations and Innovation teams to deliver customer solutions, develop insight-led packaging and utilise PackRight methodologies to demonstrate TCO benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in Innovation, Design, or Development in packaging
• Strong corrugated packaging knowledge with FMCG experience
• Proven track record 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 relationships

Responsibilities

• Develop customer innovation pipelines and turn insights into 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
• Identify and deliver cost-saving, efficiency and sustainability improvements
• Develop packaging solutions that create measurable value for customers and DS Smith
• Coordinate onboarding, value engineering and continuous improvement projects
• Support business reviews and coordinate automation initiatives

Skills

Innovation

Project management

Stakeholder management

ArtiosCAD

CAD

MS Office

Education

Packaging or Product Design qualification

Six Sigma certification

Tools

ArtiosCAD

CAD

MS Office

Job description

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

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 60,000 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!

As the journey continues of bringing together the strengths of both organisations, during your candidate experience you may engage with our colleagues from International Paper! You could visit an International Paper or DS Smith site or office.