The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Innovation Coordinator / Programme Support
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering administrative tasks, understanding innovation processes, basic data entry and reporting, supporting workshops, and learning stakeholder communication basics.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering high-quality support for multiple campaigns.
- Proactively identifying and solving minor process issues.
- Demonstrating a strong grasp of our idea management platform's features.
- Receiving positive feedback from colleagues on your reliability and helpfulness.
- 2
Junior Project Manager / Project Coordinator
3-4 yearsSkills to master
- End-to-end project delivery for small projects, managing timelines and resources, basic risk identification, and stakeholder updates.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully delivering several small projects on time and within scope.
- Comfortably managing project communications and expectations.
- Ability to work independently on defined project phases.
- Demonstrating an interest in the 'why' behind projects, not just the 'how'.
- 3
Marketing / Community Manager
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Engaging and growing online communities, content creation, campaign execution, understanding user behaviour, and reporting on engagement metrics.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven ability to increase community engagement and participation.
- Strong skills in crafting compelling messages and campaigns.
- Experience in analysing user data to inform strategy.
- A clear interest in fostering creativity and new ideas within a group.