DETAILS:

Innovation Manager Job id: 38718001
Location: East Anglia
Salary: Competitive salary & benefits
Company:First Choice
Job type: Permanent
Date posted: 05/06/2008 00:16


Description: TUI Travel needs to establish itself as the innovation leader in leisure travel. The perceptions of the brands are still old fashioned and must change to appeal to modern day holidaymakers. The role of innovation must address this issue and create real differentiation in service. The role purpose is therefore to create various TUI Travel major product and service innovations for Thomson and First Choice that represent outstanding ?added value' for the brands. In bringing these initiatives to life, the innovation manager will help build new concepts, bringing together virtual teams from around the business and oversee the ideas right through to delivery if successfully approved. What You'll Be DoingWorking with Customer Insight, Analytics and other internal teams, analyse the leisure travel market and identify opportunities for new TUI products and services to improve the customer holiday experience. Help to roll out the idea generation processes to create new product and service concepts for further investigation. Work with external resource (innovation agencies etc.) where appropriate.Engage with key personnel from various business disciplines who can help translate ideas and concepts into reality, ensuring buy-in is achieved from the start.Champion the idea generation process at the front line of the business, developing further initiatives such as the "just a thought" ideas pool. Through strong personal contacts, engage creative minds from the bottom up, ensuring that insightful suggestions are not left to waste.Create initiatives which successfully balance excellent customer experience with optimum revenue generation.Help to scope out and evaluate new concepts that the team believe have potential to fly.Provide evidence and detail to support robust plans and business cases for concepts so they can be presented to the innovation forum and senior management. This will include full cost/benefit analysis plus requirements definition, milestones and deliverables.Along with key stakeholders and Senior Innovation Managers, develop implementation plans for the concepts to be brought to market.Ensure all product and service concepts support the main brand objectives and can act as ?brand proofs' in any major communication.Ensure all new concepts are effectively communicated throughout all channels as appropriate, including brochures, retail, web and marketing collateral.Follow the appropriate measuring processes and systems to monitor the performance of new concepts.If appropriate, manage the handover of established initiatives that can be passed to ?business as usual' to free up resource to start on new projects.Help to identify, evaluate and bring on board 3rd party suppliers who have necessary services and skills for concepts. Work with Group Purchasing to develop commercial agreements.Oversee the working end of an ?innovation service' to business to help facilitate idea generation in other departmentsWhat We're Looking For . Moderate level experience within travel business, preferably within product/ marketing management or service delivery.. Good knowledge of the of the tour ops business, particularly Airline, Overseas Ops, Retail, Purchasing. . Proven ability to successfully develop and implement new initiatives. Progressive, forward thinker who can channel good ideas.. Strong team player with ability to build relationships across the business. Excellent networker with powerful communication, presentation and influencing skills. Some experience of project planning and management.. Thick skinned and able to refocus after knock-backs on certain concepts.. Experience in dealing with both 3rd party suppliers and customers. Good understanding of TUI Travel brand and product portfolio as well as competitive set


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Reference: job/HO450

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