Account Manager at Kantar

Job Requisition ID: R062552
Location: Lagos, Ikorodu RoadNigeria

Job Details

• Our insights colleagues are experts in human understanding. With expertise covering brand, innovation, creative, media, commerce and customer experience, they help clients define what brands should stand for, how to disrupt and renew their offer, how to connect with audiences and how to win with consumers and customers.

Role Description

• A management position in support of a growing qualitative division within the company, to help drive profitability and turnover targets across defined key clients.
• The key purpose of this role is to support the qualitative head in growing the business and servicing existing clients.
• The defining activities of the role being to manage research projects from beginning to end including managing the client relationships, assisting with new business generation, delivering presentations as part of the project team, and managing and mentoring junior researchers.

Responsibilities
Client Development & Management 30%

• Is responsible for 20 - 30% of total QRF value
• Accountable for overall integrity of proposal/pitch for specific clients
• Owns and proactively leads account planning & relationship for key accounts:
  • Lead development of account strategy and communication to the team
  • Proactively lead client relationship
  • Handles more complex client enquiries regarding research inputs and outputs
  • Act as a trusted advisor to clients, developing new business from existing clients
• Is Client Centric in all behaviours:
  • Has a deep understanding of the client business, industry, strategy and business issues
  • Shares relevant industry information/trends with key stakeholders to keep them informed and connected with TNS
  • Confidently contributes to marketing/business issues conversations with clients
• Is an advocate for Kantar with key internal & external clients:
  • Confidently describes Kantar Practice Areas and Products
  • Demonstrate research & marketing expertise to inspire clients and team
• Take responsibility for ensuring client reviews are run for all projects that you are directly involved in:
  • Ensuring roles & responsibility for reviews are tasked at commissioning
• Deliver clear and accurate reports, presentations and proposals
• Facilitate consultation with key stakeholders
• Actively listen and communicate openly with clients and internal teams

Leadership, People Development & Management 20%:

• Act as consultant to resolve strategic issues
• Lead development of account strategy and communication to team
• Ensure direct reports have objectives & development plans to support company strategy
• Demonstrate excellence in technical and marketing expertise to inspire both clients and team members
• Be involved in complex / high profile studies to support managers towards the best (most effective and efficient) possible delivery
• Demonstrate excellence in technical and marketing expertise to inspire both clients and team members
• Actively transfers learning to others
• Provides energy and drive to identify and exploit opportunities for new and innovative ways to answer clients’ needs
• Participates in thought leadership pieces and contributes to marketing effort in all ways possible
• Proactively responsible for own learning and development
• Promote team spirit
• Maintains personal well-being and balance

Financial Management & Business Acumen 20%:

• Accountable for key client sales targets (financial / Key Performance Indicators)
• Responsible for growth and profitability of those key clients
• Active project financial management:
  • Clarify and manage roles and budget within project team
  • Accountable for actively managing projects financially to drive positive GM and profit
  • Working with the qual head to make strong pricing decisions (for sustainability)
  • Identify potential barriers holding back profitability and growth by project within clients
• Working with the qual head to run monthly reviews of client performance vs. QRF targets - and establishing proactive plan for growth.

Proposals, Project Management, Design/Analysis & Reporting 30%:
Proposals & Pitching:

• Prepare Goldstar oriented winning proposals and provide insight and thought leadership for team member’s proposals
• Present proposals in a confident and competent manner where relevant
• Recognize opportunities to generate requests for proposals, maximizing if possible
• Accountable for overall integrity of proposal/pitch for specific clients
• Responsible for the negotiations with client, escalating where appropriate
• Create visually winning proposals and innovate on solutions for key clients

PM/Operational:

• Proactively work with team and suppliers for process improvement /cost savings while retaining quality
• Plan resource and anticipate challenges to ensure smooth running projects
• Manage and evaluate project financial progress – in financial review forums where needed (particularly high value projects)

Design:

• Responsible for ensuring materials meet client business needs
• Continued demonstration of the highest level of research excellence and client issue focus through insights generation & delivery
• Prepare and present Goldstar client deliverables that deliver growth insights which are sense checked vs. business issues & research objectives
• Ensure client deliverables meet expectations and needs; deliver excellence
• Takes full accountability for consistency across delivery – key clients building projects on each other (always drawing on what was done before and what is still needed).

Analysis/Deliverables:

• For all analysis clarify roles, plan the analysis pieces, set the reporting template sections, and clear steps (dates and elements) to reach analysis goals
• Provide sound guidance on analysis techniques and “connecting the dots and finding the story”
• Working within a series of analysis and report reviews (supporting team to organize through calendars)
• When working with data - using a mix of analysis framework & transcripts to create consistent and systematic ways of working
• Managing analysis upwards, ensuring you get time with senior team members to drive analysis to a strategic level through internal dry runs.

Role Requirements

• At least a HND / B.Sc or equivalent in Statistics, any of the Sciences or Management Science
• 3-5 years’ experience at Manager or Consultant level in qualitative research role/s
• Excellent analytical skills, a natural curiosity with the data, and agility with Powerview
• Proven ability to translate data into narratives, and tailor your presentation and recommendations to the audience function
• Experience in working with agile development teams and remote setups is an added advantage
• Excellent knowledge of MS packages usage
• A technology enthusiast experienced in application of technology in qualitative research
• Confident sales/ negotiation/ persuasion skills
• Good communication and social skills, gravitas and authority
• A team builder - builds and maintains strong relationships with staff, happy to coach team members acting as a mentor or role model
• Excellent client relationship development skills
• Motivated to deliver and achieve business excellence
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and work to tight deadlines
• Willing to work flexibly when required
• Big picture thinking
• Innovative and flexible approach
• Willingness to accept responsibility and accountability for work
• Strategic thinking ability to add value to research results
• Understanding of practical applications in the context of real-life marketing problems.