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 / Project Support
1-2 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering basic project coordination, diligent documentation, scheduling, and understanding the core innovation lifecycle.
You're ready to move on when
- You're consistently reliable in supporting innovation projects.
- You've shown initiative in improving small parts of a process.
- You can clearly explain our basic innovation process to new colleagues.
- 2
Business Analyst / Process Analyst
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Strong process mapping, data analysis for business problems, requirements gathering, and stakeholder communication.
You're ready to move on when
- You're excellent at breaking down complex problems into clear steps.
- You can identify inefficiencies and propose practical solutions.
- You're comfortable working with data to inform decisions.
- 3
Junior Product Manager / Product Owner
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding user needs, defining features, managing backlogs, and working closely with development teams.
You're ready to move on when
- You're passionate about solving customer problems.
- You can articulate a product vision and break it down into smaller pieces.
- You've worked in agile environments and understand sprint cycles.