Innovation Manager

• 4425
• Lyan Packaging
• Wrexham (North Wales)
• Permanent, Full Time
• Salary in the region of £30,000 to £40,000 + attractive benefits

Research & Innovation Manager – Flexible working available

An exciting opportunity to join our ambitious business and have a key input into our growth and sustainability.

Our Company

Lyan Packaging is a supplier of transit packaging that has been established for 33 years. The most significant part of the business is our innovative ‘Icertech’ product range, offering chilled transit solutions, enabling food and pharmaceutical companies to deliver goods to their customers in excellent condition.

We are a family run business, with strong moral values. Our business has a total of 16 staff currently and is growing rapidly due to a boom in the food home delivery market, which is the primary sector we work within. We have brought various new innovative products to the market place in recent years, but we are now looking to further drive forward sustainable and fully recyclable options to support our growth.

In the last 6 months, the company has invested heavily in Property, Plant and Equipment, including the construction of some modern offices and a staff room. We continue to invest heavily to develop and exploit existing market opportunities, whilst trying to provide the best working environment possible for our staff.

The Role – Research & Innovation Manager

In this newly created role you will take full responsibility for the management of R&D activities within the business; from market research and product development and testing, right through to commercial development and sales strategy.

You will also be expected to take a hands-on management approach to other business development matters to support the growth of the business, such as the development of a robust CRM system.

You will report directly to the Managing Director and will work together on ambitious goals and objectives. You will be expected to work in many different areas of the business, working on your own initiative.

Responsibilities will include:

• Development and management of a clear R&D strategy, with a key focus on driving forward sustainable product offerings on box insulation and coolants within our Icertech range of products
• Become the key contact for various stakeholders (i.e. University researchers, customers, suppliers etc.) to efficiently work towards our R&D goals
• Conducting / collating scientific and market research to identify the best product areas to develop
• Temperature trial testing of new and existing packaging solutions, and presenting the results as appropriate
• Development of company environmental and sustainability credentials, working towards industry recognised accreditation
• General review of company practises and deployment of projects to improve processes and productivity, with a goal of continuous improvement
• Support various commercial projects including key account management, and assisting with various pricing and commercial decisions

Our Requirements - Research & Innovation Manager

• Experience in conducting scientific research and product / prototype testing, and presenting the results in a clear and appropriate fashion
• 2:1 or above degree in a STEM subject
• Proven business management experience gained within an appropriate commercial setting, working as part of a team with key deliverables
• High level of ambition to develop into a leadership role
• Excellent analytical skills and numerical reasoning
• Excellent computer skills with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel
• Good negotiation skills and business acumen

The Package

We are proud to have ‘Investors in People’ accreditation, which is a testament to our commitment to looking after and developing our staff. We actively offer and encourage our staff to take on additional training and personal development within their job role.

As a company, our ethos is one of a ‘culture of care’. As a small independent business, our team are like family to us, and we look forward to inviting the right candidate to join our family. You will also benefit from:

• A permanent contract with full time hours, working Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm, and Friday 8am to 2pm
• A salary in the region of £30,000 to £40,000, level dependent on experience and qualifications
• £200 per quarter sales related bonus
• 5% company pension contribution
• Funded training opportunities, and opportunity to develop within business

Flexible working arrangements can be considered where required, but it is important that a minimum of 3 days per week are usually spent in our Wrexham office to build appropriate relationships and enable effective collaborative working with the team.

All applications for this Research & Innovation Manager role are to be submitted online.