Technical Project Manager (Bundling and Collation) Innovation Platform

DS Smith; Redditch; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging company in the UK is seeking a Project Manager for innovation product implementation. This role will lead teams to ensure smooth development, manage projects in collaboration with customers, partners, and suppliers, and address project blockers. Candidates should have a proven track record in technical project management, be proficient in planning and risk management, and possess excellent communication skills. Strong problem-solving abilities and experience with agile methodologies are essential.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in technical project management in an Innovation/R&D context.
• Proficient in project planning, risk management and stakeholder alignment.
• Experience with agile, stage-gate or hybrid project management methodologies.
• Strong ability to manage multiple concurrent projects across different development stages.
• Fluent communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead the innovation product implementation team for projects.
• Manage project process in accordance with the customer implementation timeline.
• Act as the main contact with customers, partners & suppliers.
• Identify, flag and resolve project blockers.
• Organise & coordinate trials, testing & validation workflows.
• Document overall process and product specifications.
• Interact with Head of Innovation on project progress.
• Support lead generation and expansion of product range.
• Coordinate carbon emission calculations for value selling.

Skills

Technical project management

Project planning

Stakeholder alignment

Agile methodologies

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Job description

The role will be responsible for ensuring smooth innovation product development and implementation with strategic (pilot) customers in close collaboration with partners. This role is the key interactor with project manager counterparts on customer and partner/supplier side. You will ensure seamless collaboration within the innovation platform and local site project teams whilst being closely connected to the customer project teams. You will also enable world class interaction with customers and partners, using a process driven, well-coordinated and structured approach. Through close customer interaction, you will contribute to providing feedback and input on new and evolving customer requirements to fuel the future product development pipeline. This role requires a solid technical product knowledge base to ensure professional overall project management and coordination.

• Lead the innovation product implementation team for projects, including design, operations/mechanisation and project specific supporting functions such as costing, sourcing & SME's
• Manage project process in accordance with the customer implementation timeline
• Act as the main point of contact in interaction with customers, partners & suppliers project managers, act as a project manager with credible technical knowledge (supported by SME's in the team)
• Drive the internal interaction with sub-regional & local site project stakeholders
• Identify, flag and resolve project blockers with support of relevant stakeholders
• Organise & coordinate preparation & execution of trials, testing & validation workflows
• Lead documentation of overall process, product specifications & requirements for further scale-up of new products
• Support lead generation and further expansion of product range implementation within strategic customer base
• Interact closely with platform Head of Innovation on project progress and customer feedback as input for strategic product portfolio extensions
• Interact with product manager to provide product specifications, requirements & input for commercialisation to support scale-up implementation
• Stay close to changes in PPWR and other environmental regulations affecting packaging requirements and customer decisions for the future
• Coordinate carbon emission and related tax impact calculations as input for value selling of the product range.
• Proven experience in technical project management in an Innovation/R&D context
• Proficient in (technical) project planning, risk management and stakeholder alignment
• Experience with agile, stage-gate or hybrid project management methodologies
• Strong ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with cross-functional teams, across different development stages
• Proven track record of on-time, on-budget project delivery
• Problem solver, result focused and passionate about innovation
• Strong written and spoken communication skills, fluent English
• Passionate motivator, good interpersonal and networking skills