Director, Client Development

Learn and work on meaningful initiatives with some of the best and brightest in the market research industry. The NPD Group provides the world’s most successful brands with leading market research, combining consumer and retail point-of-sale data with analytic solutions to interpret today’s market trends while anticipating tomorrow’s. In addition, we offer a career filled with innovation and growth to the forward-thinking problem solvers who join our team.

Position Overview

We want a passionate, dynamic, and highly motivated individual who is looking for an opportunity to have an impact on one of the most well-known and admired retailers in the world. This person must be knowledgeable and eternally curious about consumers, retail technology, manufacturers technology and have opinions on which companies are progressing in data and storage management and which companies could be doing things better. This integral member of the NPD team will report directly to the Vice President in the Retail Business Group.

Our Retail Business Group team is seeking a Director who is responsible for managing and growing the relationship between NPD and a very strategic, multi-industry retailer based in the Seattle area. In this role, you will drive building actionable technology driven insights, manage and grow the client relationship through data integration, identify needs and recommend data solutions, ensure maximum client satisfaction, and drive revenue within the account.

This retailer is located in the Seattle area, and the account manager is expected to make frequent on-site visits to the client.

Overall Responsibilities:

• Enhance NPD’s connection with a major retailer in multiple markets.
• Oversee all client market data methodologies, delivery of reports, and overall insight & value engagement related to IT and automation support.
• Response for all technology integration with the retailer including strategy, research, insights, and data science teams.
• Manage and implement strategic approach to client, developing relationships, creating business insights with analytics and technology solutions, and supporting data integration across teams.
• Create high client satisfaction through setting expectation and providing excellent customer service.
• Respond to client requests for insights, data systems, and technology by using existing databases, providing analyses, leveraging industry knowledge, collaborating with internal partners and tracking results.
• Lead projects creating a plan on new products with NPD, and the retailer, and then driving the customer stakeholders, and potential other third parties to achieve those objectives while understanding the client environment and any limitations to execution.
• Plan, organize, and manage all phases of a project life-cycle to ensure successful delivery. This includes developing and managing project governance plans, project schedules, project goals, defining success criteria, project milestones, and budgets.
• Demonstrate usage of retail point-of-sale scanner data and consumer panel data to objectively partner with the retailer to help them grow their business.
• Manage the delivery of different NPD products while building strategy and processes for efficiency and cost-savings.
• Continually improve ongoing reporting and data exchange, to provide increased value and gain efficiencies while integrating NPD data into client’s decision-making processes.
• Collaborate with other client technical, operation, and other teams to deliver engagement and products that both the client and NPD could optimize.
• Broaden the user base of NPD data through the effective demonstration of how NPD data can help accomplish the client’s goals.
• Build strong, ongoing relationships with all levels of management at account, with a heavy focus on Directors, Vice Presidents, and C-suite.
• Evaluate how NPD’s products and services can address key business issues and introduce new products to clients as needed. Drive new revenue with new products and innovation.
• Handle inquiries around methodology and data validation across business areas.
• Train contacts on usage of NPD data and delivery systems.
• Become an expert in client services and share that knowledge with the NPD organization to train cross functioning teams and key stakeholders.
• Acquire new technology skills and serve as trusted advisors for internal and external customers including global customer architects, IT leaders, and data science leaders.
• Leverage NPD industry analysts, practice area counterparts, and corporate resources to improve the overall insights derived from NPD data.

Qualifications:

• Ability to take ownership, work under pressure and meet deadlines on time.
• Ability to challenge, recommend and redirect teams as well as manage client expectations during the engagement.
• Ability to apply strategic thinking and demonstrate understanding of requirements to execute.
• Ability to write and executive in building business cases and development case strategies.
• Ability to take proactive steps to reach out to clients for meetings, building new connections during various business development activities.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing priorities.
• AWS experience desirable. AWS certifications a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in a client-facing market research, software, IT, PMO, consumer insights, category management or related role a must. IT Consulting a plus.
• Project Management experience desirable. PMO Certification desirable.
• Deep understanding of how category point-of-sale scanner data and consumer panel data can be used to identify business building opportunities for clients.
• Ability to synthesize data and develop meaningful conclusions.
• Analytical skills. Able to digest diverse data sets into cohesive and succinct stories in written document and verbal discussions.
• Exceptional organizational and project management/prioritization skills; ability to learn and juggle knowledge about multiple data sources and category/industry nuances.
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to work independently.
• Comfortable managing expectations of multiple clients and client teams. Able to negotiate to achieve desired goals.
• Strong communication skills, including verbal, written and presentation. Ability to communicate effectively with all levels.
• Views ongoing change as an opportunity for process improvement.
• Ability to generate/support creative ideas and effectively sell those ideas.
• Understands the value proposition of the public cloud and has assisted in the delivery of cloud engagements (IaaS, PaaS, Saas), AWS services for data science programs/systems desirable.
• Experience with IT delivery tools and programs is desirable.
• High level of proficient in all MS Office products (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Ability to travel, typically <20%.
• BA/BS required. Masters in Project Management, Engineering, or Computer Science a plus.

The NPD Group, Inc. is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.