Innovation Marketing Manager
(NPD Brand Manager)
Hybrid Working: 3 days in office (E16 2EW), 2 days home.
In this role, the Innovation Manager owns end‑to‑end marketing initiatives on our new products– from identifying consumer and customer needs, building compelling propositions, and shaping product briefs, to leading cross‑functional delivery and supporting successful launches.
Working closely with Sales, R&D, Operations, Finance and external partners, the role will guide projects through the full development cycle, define go‑to‑market plans, and help win distribution by creating customer‑ready stories that secure listings and drive repeat purchase.
The ideal candidate combines strong strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery capability, understanding how ideas are translated into scalable, profitable solutions that create long‑term value.
Key Responsibilities
Innovation Pipeline & Growth Development
1. Identify, assess, and prioritise innovation opportunities aligned with business strategy, growth ambitions, and commercial targets.
2. Lead market, category, and customer insight to uncover growth spaces, competitive gaps, and propositions that will win on shelf.
3. Create clear product briefs and commercial business cases (price pack architecture, margin, volume, and launch phasing) in partnership with key stakeholders.
Project Leadership & Cross‑Functional Delivery
4. Act as the day‑to‑day marketing lead for innovation projects, connecting insight, proposition, and execution across the business.
5. Lead projects through the full development cycle (concept, feasibility, development, validation, and launch), ensuring consumer appeal, customer fit, and commercial viability.
6. Coordinate cross‑functional delivery across Sales, R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, design and packaging partners to deliver launch‑ready products and materials.
Distribution Growth & Customer Selling
7. Partner with Sales to define customer targets, distribution goals, and launch plans that unlock new listings and increased rate of sale.
8. Build customer‑ready selling stories (proposition, pricing, pack formats, category rationale, and forecast) to support buyer conversations and range reviews.
9. Track post‑launch performance with Sales and recommend actions to expand distribution, improve availability, and strengthen promotional effectiveness.
Brand & Product Governance
10. Ensure the brand proposition is translated consistently into product, pack, and customer‑facing materials.
11. Oversee adherence to brand, quality, and regulatory requirements (e.g., pack claims, artwork, and product specifications) in partnership with relevant functions.
12. Review and approve concepts, prototypes, packaging, and customer‑facing launch materials to ensure readiness for retailer submission.
Performance Monitoring & Commercial Reporting
13. Monitor innovation performance, including distribution, rate of sale, margin, identifying risks and expansion opportunities.
14. Produce regular performance updates with clear insights, KPIs, and recommendations to improve distribution, profitability, and long‑term category impact.
Experience & Skills
15. Experience in innovation/brand marketing, product marketing, or commercial marketing within FMCG or consumer products.
16. Strong understanding of brand positioning, packaging, and the route‑to‑market dynamics that influence distribution and performance in retail.
17. Commercially analytical mindset with the ability to build business cases, shape pricing/pack architecture, and track distribution and sales performance.
18. Outstanding project‑management and organisational skills, with the ability to lead cross‑functional teams and manage multiple complex workstreams end‑to‑end.
Personal Qualities
19. Proactive, commercially driven, and delivery‑focused with a bias to action.
20. Confident influencing stakeholders across Marketing, Sales, R&D and Operations, with the ability to translate insight into compelling customer stories.
21. Passionate about building propositions that become successful products, with a clear focus on winning distribution and sustainable growth.
At Tate & Lyle Sugars, our goal is to be the most admired sweetener Company.
Service Excellence - Be the industry's Gold Standard by a relentless focus on reliability, providing products with superior quality and excellent customer services. Efficiency and Sustainability - Eliminate inefficiency to be a sustainable, low cost producer and to generate fuel for reinvestment. Value-Add - create strategic advantage and enhanced profitability through value-added products and services. The foundation of our values is Talent and Culture as we aim to build, retain and motivate a winning team.