Innovation & Product Marketing Manager

This is a fantastic opportunity for a pet loving innovation manager to join an exciting business who will be responsible for developing and implementing the NPD and innovation projects and shape the long-term product roadmaps for specific brands/categories in conjunction with the Senior Innovation Manager. Location:BlackburnCompany Overview:Pets Choice is a leading pet food manufacturer whose industry knowledge spans over 135 years. Based in Blackburn, Lancashire, the Pets Choice portfolio of brands offers a variety of products for pets and wild animals under its brands; Webbox, TastyBone, Meatiful, Spike’s World, Goodwyns, Davies, Oceanic and Vitakraft. Each brand offers a unique insight into animals from dogs to ducks and produces high-quality products that cater to a wide variety of consumer needs. As a trusted partner, Pets Choice provide private label goods including extruded food, wet food and retorted trays, and baked fresh meat treats. The business also offers additional services such as packaging design, fulfilment and logistics. With a broad range of capabilities and distribution channels worldwide, Pets Choice are proud to be a major supplier to the UK grocery, independents and pet speciality sectors.Role:Own NPD and Innovation projects from concept to launch, across packaging and product workstreams.Responsible for identifying new opportunities, generating, and developing concepts and reviewing commercial viability of NPD/Innovation plans.Responsible for reviewing and shortlisting ideas, working with brand and innovation teams, to align on priorities and resource.Lead cross functional teams, and act as sponsor for taking projects through the stage gate process from ideation to post launch reviews. Including recommendations to stop projects that become not commercially viable.Create product and packaging developments and the review of recipes with NPD, technical and other key stakeholders.Create packaging design briefs and manage the design and artwork process through to approved to print.Responsible for developing compelling and unique product propositions which have a clearly defined target segment and need.Responsible for the consumer/shopper validation insights. Including creating concept propositions and research briefs for NPD ideas.Work with the Senior Innovation manager on the RSP, promotional plans and target cogs for NPD/Innovation projects. Achieving sign off with Commercial Heads and Purchasing.Accountable for the attendance and sign off for first production launches, if required.Accountable for the Innovation KPi’s including success rates and profitability targets/contributions for your assigned projects.Work with the Senior Innovation Manager on “big bets” and complete the briefing to the comms and brand teams to for them to them to implement launch campaigns. Working with the project manager to deliver accurate and on time reporting and recommending corrective action plans.Responsible for the creation and presentation of innovation/NPD presentations, presell and retailer pitches and organising samples.Continuously monitor and act on trends and keep a close eye on competitive activity in the marketplace, suggest new ways of working and regularly review working practices to deliver efficiency and speed to market.Attend and support at events/conferences in UK and International. Attendance and debrief of Innovation related exhibitions.Provide cover when required for project managers and other team members.Provide cover when required on artwork or EPD projects if required.Key attributes and skills:Degree in marketing or similar.Minimum of 4 years’ experience in Innovation and product launch roles and stage gate process. Including the leadership of product launches from concept to implementation.At least 3 years’ experience in working with insights, brand and with design agencies/teams.At least 3 years’ experience of working with commercial costings and setting pricing strategies.Several years’ experience in dealing with a mix of retail channels, including Grocers.Good team working skills with the ability to interface and influence a diverse range of stakeholdersCreative, innovative, and self-starter.Commercially savvy, with strong analytics skills, comfortable in interpreting performance data and trends and can make compelling recommendations.Excellent organisation skills and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.Problem solver with a positive and can-do attitude and thrives in a fast-paced and time pressured environment.Resilient, able to deal with challenges/ objections confidently.Must be fluent in English.Experience in the pet food/pet care sectorFMCG experience or other brand lead organisationExperience in Manufacturing and OutsourcedPackaging Development (structural)CIM Marketing or Other Innovation QualificationFull UK and clean driving licence is preferred
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