<p>Why join us</p> <p>Joining Sainsbury's as a Trends & Innovation Manager means embarking on an exciting journey at the forefront of product development and customer-centric innovation in the retail industry. With a strong focus on trends and emerging developments, you will have the opportunity to shape the direction of our own brand product portfolio, influencing key decisions and driving industry-leading innovation. In a collaborative and supportive environment, you will be empowered to turn insights into actionable strategies, work with cross-functional teams, and be the driving force behind our ambition to create joyful and accessible food experiences for our customers. If you are a proactive, curious, and strategic thinker with a passion for trends and innovation, this role offers the perfect platform to make a meaningful impact and drive the future of innovation at Sainsbury's.</p> <p>What you'll do</p> <p>As the Trends & Innovation Manager at Sainsbury's, you will be at the forefront of shaping our innovation focus by leveraging your expertise in spotting and understanding trends. Your role will involve defining and implementing a robust approach to identifying and analysing trends, validating trends with relevant data from internal and external sources, and translating trends into strategic recommendations for product development. You will collaborate closely with key teams across the business to drive industry-leading innovation, turn insights into action, and create stretching innovation briefs for product developers and suppliers. Additionally, you will serve as our internal trend expert, driving a consistent narrative around trends and adding business value through engaging content and insightful presentations.</p> <p>Who you are</p> <p>You are a proactive, tenacious and driven individual with a natural curiosity and passion for trends and innovation. With a strong strategic mindset and the ability to translate trends into strategic opportunities, you excel in engaging and inspiring others through excellent communication and presentation skills. Your project management expertise, analytical capabilities, and commitment to personal development enable you to drive industry-leading innovation, influence key decision-makers, and shape the direction of own brand product development within a dynamic and customer-centric environment.</p> <p>Essential Criteria</p> <ul> <li>Extensive experience and a genuine enthusiasm for spearheading trends and innovation within large, complex organizations, evidenced by a record of delivering measurable results in fast-changing settings.&nbsp;</li> <li>Adept at converting trend insights into actionable business opportunities and shaping strategic direction for product development.&nbsp;</li> <li>Exceptional communication and influencing abilities, with a talent for tailoring messages and stories to engage a variety of audiences and stakeholders.&nbsp;</li> <li>Strong analytical skills, enabling you to interpret complex trend data and identify commercially viable opportunities.&nbsp;</li> <li>Resilient and determined, with a proven ability to overcome obstacles, drive initiatives forward, and consistently achieve high standards in demanding, fast- paced environments</li> </ul>