Location: UK/ Belgium
Subject to Consultation
About the role
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.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
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.
About You
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
APPLICATIONS CLOSING DATE: 12th DECEMBER 2025