Innovation & Portfolio Manager

BAT is evolving at pace into a global multi-category business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World. To achieve our ambition, we are looking for colleagues who are ready to join us on this journey! Tomorrow can’t wait, let’s shape it together!

British American Tobacco United Kingdom has an exciting opportunity for an Innovation & Portfolio Manager in London

The Innovation & Portfolio Manager helps decide what Ryde should sell, who it is for, the needs and occasions it should serve, and what the brand should build next.

This is a broad, high-impact role in a small, fast-growing brand. Using sharp consumer, category and commercial thinking, you will shape segmentation, targeting and positioning, the portfolio, product propositions, range choices and the innovation pipeline. Working closely with the Head of Ryde, you will turn the best growth opportunities into products people want to buy and plans the business can deliver.

No two days will look quite the same. You might move from consumer research and portfolio choices to a product tasting, commercial discussion or launch decision. You will work from diagnosis → strategy → tactics and category entry point → proposition → product → pack/price → launch, while staying close to the detail and helping Ryde learn and move quickly.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Consumer, Category & Opportunity Leadership – Get close to Ryde’s consumers, category buyers and occasions, using category entry points to strengthen relevance and mental availability.

  • Set the consumer and category learning agenda, finding the needs, tensions and occasions Ryde can credibly and distinctively address.
  • Understand who buys Ryde, what brings the brand to mind, when and where people buy and consume it, what drives repeat and what gets in the way of trial.
  • Stay close to shifts in consumers, culture, competitors and the category—from propositions and ingredients to formats, claims, pricing and innovation.
  • Turn research, US retailer/shopper input and market intelligence into a clear diagnosis and a few focused choices—not reports that sit on a shelf or tactics without a strategy.

• Portfolio & Range Strategy – Shape Ryde’s portfolio, choosing the segments and occasions that can build broad reach and penetration.

  • Give every product, flavour, format, pack and SKU a clear job, linked to the category entry points it serves and the mental and physical availability it can build.
  • Use diagnosis → strategy → tactics and clear segmentation, targeting and positioning to spot gaps and set priorities.
  • Decide where to invest, improve, renovate, extend or simplify, avoiding needless complexity and cannibalisation.
  • Keep a clear, recognisably Ryde Y1–3 roadmap across needs, formats and occasions.

• Innovation & Renovation Leadership – Drive Ryde’s multi-year innovation and renovation pipeline, taking the strongest ideas from opportunity to launch.

  • Find and size opportunities based on consumer need, category potential, brand fit and commercial value, then turn them into clear propositions and product briefs.
  • Develop and test concepts, balancing what people say with how buyers behave and what happens in market.
  • Build practical business cases and keep projects moving with R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, Sales and Marketing.
  • Agree what success looks like before launch, review performance quickly and improve the formula, flavour, format, packaging, proposition or claims when needed.
  • Be the business and consumer owner: bring people together, make the trade-offs clear and keep momentum, while functional experts lead technical delivery.

• Product Proposition & Experience – Make sure every Ryde product has a clear, credible reason to exist and feels unmistakably part of the brand.

  • Define propositions that connect consumer need, functional benefit, ingredients, claims and product experience.
  • Partner with R&D and Regulatory to maximise credible benefits and claims.
  • Shape naming, benefit hierarchy and on-pack communication with the Brand Manager, reinforcing distinctive assets and memory structures.
  • Ensure flavour, format and consumption experience deliver the intended proposition and occasion.
  • Use consumer evidence to improve appeal and repeat while protecting Ryde’s product principles.

• Portfolio Performance & Learning – Know what is working, what is not and what Ryde should do next.

  • Build a simple, useful view of distribution, velocity, trial, repeat, consumer feedback and profitability by product, SKU and innovation.
  • Work with Brand, eCommerce and US teams to understand the journey from awareness → trial → experience → repeat.
  • Dig into underperformance, recommend what to change and run honest post-launch reviews.
  • Use each launch to make the next one better, sharing clear performance updates and recommendations with the Head of Ryde and senior leadership.

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience in brand management, portfolio strategy, innovation, or consumer marketing, ideally within FMCG, beverages, wellness, or a related category, with a track record of taking products from insight through to successful launch.

• Strong ability to translate consumer insights into portfolio decisions, brand positioning, value propositions, and product architecture.

• Solid understanding of key marketing concepts, including segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP), category entry points, distinctive brand assets, mental and physical availability, penetration-led growth, and broad-reach brand building.

• Commercially astute, with experience managing P&Ls, pricing strategies, margin performance, and business case development, supported by strong analytical capability and consumer judgement.

• Collaborative and effective in cross-functional environments, working closely with Product Development/R&D, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and Regulatory teams.

• Comfortable operating across both strategic and operational horizons, from shaping a three-year portfolio roadmap to resolving immediate launch and execution challenges.

• Able to work effectively in ambiguous or evolving environments, maintaining momentum even when not all variables are fully defined.

• Experience in the US consumer goods or FMCG market would be an advantage.

What we offer you?

• We offer a market leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility)

• Our range of benefits varies by country and includes diverse health plans, initiatives for work-life balance, transportation support, and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives.

• Your journey with us isn't limited by boundaries; it's propelled by your aspirations. Join us at BAT and become a part of an environment that thrives on internal advancement, where your career progression isn't just a statement – it's a reality we're eager to build together. Seize the opportunity and own your development; your next chapter starts here.

• You'll have access to online learning platforms and personalized growth programs to nurture your leadership skills.

• We prioritise continuous improvement within a transformative environment, preparing for ongoing changes.

WHY JOIN BAT? We’re one of the few companies named as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute – certified in offering excellent employee conditions.

At BAT, we champion collaboration, inclusion, and partnership as the bedrock of our values. We wish to foster an environment where every individual can thrive, irrespective of factors such as gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, skills, experience, education, socio-economic and professional background, as well as diverse perspectives and thinking styles. We recognise that our strength lies in embracing talent from all walks of life, empowering us to develop our culture of inclusivity and better achieve our business objectives.

We view career breaks not as obstacles but as opportunities and encourage everyone, without hesitation, to apply. Through our Global Returners program, we provide support to professionals seeking to re-enter the workforce after an extended absence, be it for family care, parental leave, national service, sabbatical, or starting their own venture. Come bring your difference and see what is possible for you at BAT. Learn more about our culture and our award winning employee experience here.

We take pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any reasonable adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process to support you performing at your best, please inform the recruitment partner who will be in touch should your profile be selected for the role you applied for. We are wholeheartedly committed to optimising your prospects of success by making suitable arrangements so that you may showcase your full potential.

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