Innovation Portfolio Project & Performance Manager

Location: UK

Subject to Consultation

About the role

DSS Smith is transforming how we deliver Innovation to our customers. This is introducing new structures and ways of working for the organisation in how we conceptualize develop and scale the right Innovative Products and Services to the right customers maximizing value creation and growth.

Utilising an Innovation Stage Gate process innovation teams work collaboratively with the wider organisation to deliver a portfolio of scalable innovations to the market to hit business growth targets. This portfolio consists of products that meet criteria for scalability qualifying them as Strategic Innovations. The current portfolio of delivers an annual revenue of 200m and is required to grow to 500m and beyond with increased MOVC.

Cross functional multi-disciplinary teams have been set up using agile techniques to drive greater collaboration and quick decision-making to develop and scale strategic innovations to market faster for our customers. These teams cover Longer Term innovation Concept & Product/Services development at a Divisional multiple Sub-regional and Market level.

There is opportunity to accelerate development of Products and Services where similar technical expertise is required across a group of products (e.g. Food safety for Direct Food Contact). Specific teams have been organised into Technical Platforms managing the delivery through the development stages to commercialise in the markets. Product Managers are accountable for the customer pipelines and commercial success of the products.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure the innovation teams perform and deliver consolidated growth so the portfolio achieves innovation targets with the right selection of products delivering to the right customers prioritised effectively so they deliver maximum value aligning to the growth agenda and achieving Innovation targets for the business. Orchestrate the coordination across all sub-regions & key stakeholders driving commercialisation plans at a portfolio level optimising deployment into the high potential growth markets.

• Execute governance frameworks and reporting instruments to enable the teams and platforms to effectively track performance and establish clear accountability to deliver required portfolio outcomes through fast decision making across all stakeholder groups cross functional teams and geographic markets.

• Align the approach and ways of working across all innovation teams through the Stage Gate process ensuring efficient knowledge transfer and optimal pace of progress of high potential products to customers (including pausing or stopping of low potential projects and products).

About You

• Masters degree or equivalent work experience preferably with business and technical background

• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)

• Strong resilience and ability to work positively with a range of individuals and operate and deliver in an environment of ambiguity

• Strong leadership management and influencing skills engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including senior leaders across the organisation

• Good knowledge of techniques for portfolio planning monitoring and controlling projects and new product development methodology.

• Knowledge and experience of agile ways of working.

• Ability to find and drive innovative ways of solving or pre-empting problems and simplifying complexity

• Understanding of Change Management

• Strategic and Commercial Acumen including Financial budget management

• MS Office MS Visio MS Project MS Teams PowerBI proficient