Product Manager

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About us

DS Smith is a FTSE 100 leader in sustainable packaging solutions. Our business covers a complex and multinational value chain: designing and developing innovative sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services.

Sustainability sits at the heart of our business model and we are a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, already delivering on our mission: removing >313M pieces of problem plastic from the global supply chain over just 2 years. 

The Group Innovation team is crucial in powering new innovations in business models, digital solutions, products and services to achieve our mission to redefine packaging for a changing world. DS Smith has already committed £100M to our ambitious innovation and R&D programme.

About the role

You will be working on innovative new products and services, in a sector crucial to powering a sustainable future. The Product Manager is responsible for driving forward the development of a new digital and data product within the Group Innovation portfolio.

Acting as an internal entrepreneur for a key product. In this team, we combine the vision and entrepreneurial approach of innovation, with the rigorous analysis of commercial strategy. This role offers both the entrepreneurialism to support the development of new businesses and propositions, and the impact and scale of a multinational FTSE 100 market leader employing >30,000 people over 34 countries.

This is a challenging and dynamic role at the forefront of DS Smith’s innovation agenda, which can offer significant senior exposure. The role will suit an individual who is driven by learning and motivated by bringing new solutions to market. In line with the DS Smith vision, all our solutions put sustainability at their heart.

What you will do:

• Develop a new digital and service product from concept through to Minimum Scalable Product

• Test the desirability of solutions, through market research, direct customer conversations, blinded trials, digital landing page development etc

• Develop and iterate the service proposition to ensure value for customers, partners and DS Smith

• Develop and manage a pipeline of trial / pilot customers

• Develop pricing, in collaboration with commercial teams, testing and iterating in the market through blinded or direct conversations

• Develop market sizing and business cases, in collaboration with commercial teams

• Responsible for delivering product and services trials with customers

• Collaborate with internal subject matter experts to explore operational delivery options, problem solve and improve delivery processes

• Build the pipeline of new solutions by collaborating with Ideation teams, consultancies and R&D to develop and explore new product and service concepts

About you

• Experience in one of the below:

  • Strategy, digital or technology consulting

  • Operational, product or strategic role at a startup, scale up or large corporate

  • Innovation role at a large corporate

• Strong analytical and numerical skills 

• Commercial nous and ability to make decisions as an entrepreneur

• Collaborating effectively with stakeholders upwards and downwards

• Ambitious to develop a strategic skillset and to grow into owning a high-growth product

• Agile and adaptable

• Strong communication, presentation and organisational skills

• Native-equivalent English proficiency

• Experience or interest in packaging, logistics, or FMCG is preferred

Other information

• Hybrid work schedule: 1 anchor day per week expected in our new offices in London Paddington. Occasional travel required, typically 2-4 days per month

• Reports to: Director of Partnerships and Service Growth, Group Innovation

What we offer

• Competitive salary 

• Company bonus

• Pension scheme 

• Life assurance

• Income protection

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays 

• Electric Car / Cycle to Work scheme

“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.”