Associate Account Director

Kantar is the world’s leading data, insights, and consulting company; we shape the brands of tomorrow by better understanding people everywhere.

Our Insights colleagues are the masters of using data to resolve challenges. They help brands define what they should stand for, how to reinvent and renew their offer, how to better reach audiences, and how to win with consumers and customers. By collecting substantial data from across the world, they blend human expertise with technology, making sure we can deliver innovative insights to brands everywhere.

Role description

Our Brand Domain team at Kantar is seeking a passionate and talented Associate Account Director to join our exceptional team. In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on our clients' businesses by developing a deep understanding of their brands, analyzing the effectiveness of their marketing strategies, and identifying growth opportunities. As an Associate Account Director, you will be responsible for designing, planning, and executing research projects within agreed timelines, budgets, and scope. You will also manage a portfolio of clients while leading a team of researchers. Your ability to inspire confidence, motivate your team, and deliver flawless research will be crucial for success in this role. If you are passionate about marketing, brands, and research, possess strong attention to detail, and have the ability to quickly grasp new concepts, then this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Key Outcomes

Management of studies and resources using research principles and Kantar systems:

• Build positive relationships with clients and drive business impact.
• Take accountability for client satisfaction and ensure the successful delivery of projects.
• Proactively communicate with clients, encouraging relationships, and promoting client retention, enhancement, and growth.
• Develop and implement a business plan to achieve desired outcomes.
• Build and nurture relationships with important clients.
• Provide expert guidance and thought leadership to clients, drawing on Kantar's expertise to deliver impactful insights.
• Deliver insights to clients through compelling analysis, presentations, and workshops.

Team and Project Management:

• Mentor, coach, and train team members to develop their skills.
• Foster cooperative relationships within the team and across functional teams.
• Set objectives and evaluate performance to support team members' professional growth.
• Effectively manage and supervise research projects, ensuring adherence to timelines and administrative procedures.
• Optimize team capacity and resources.

Commercial Management: Contributing to financial performance and business profitability

• Be accountable for achieving team financial targets.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities with existing and new clients.
• Prepare client proposals and costings.
• Ensure profitability on projects.
• Have a vital role in the annual forecast and QRF process, using client expertise and future predictions.
• Align actions with Kantar's strategy and objectives.

Brand interest and expertise:

• Demonstrate brand domain knowledge, including brand guidance, strategy, equity models, and key brand concepts.
• Encourage a commitment to ongoing learning and stay informed about brand trends, philosophies, and perspectives.
• Find chances to incorporate brand domain solutions in client conversations.

Role requirements

To excel in this role, you will need:

• Masters Degree 
• Strong Market Research knowledge with a minimum of 10-12 years of experience, including at least 5 years in team management.
• Experience in brand research is beneficial but not required.
• Analytical ability with proven numeracy skills.
• Excellent computer literacy, specifically with all MS Office packages.
• Detailed understanding of marketing research principles.
• A willingness to learn and the ability to understand new concepts promptly.
• Confidence and excellent relationship-building skills.
• Proactivity and a positive attitude.
• Ownership mentality and self-sufficiency.
• Strong team-building skills to develop positive relationships with staff.
• Exceptional client relationship development skills.
• Motivation to achieve business success.
• Innovative and flexible approach.

About the Dubai office

Dubai offers an exceptional living with world class infrastructure, tax free income, high quality education, safe and secure family living with easy connectivity to any part of the world. There are more than 30 nationalities residing in Dubai offering a unique cosmopolitan culture.

We offer visa sponsorship and assist with relocation support for this role. 

Location

Kantar Rewards Statement

At Kantar we have an integrated way of rewarding our people based around a simple, clear and consistent set of principles. Our approach helps to ensure we are market competitive and also to support a pay for performance culture, where your reward and career progression opportunities are linked to what you deliver.

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in. Apply for a career that’s out of the ordinary and join us.

We want to create an equality of opportunity in a fair and supportive working environment where people feel included, accepted and are allowed to flourish in a space where their mental health and well being is taken into consideration.

We want to create a more diverse community to expand our talent pool, be locally representative, drive diversity of thinking and better commercial outcomes.

Kantar is the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company. We understand more about how people think, feel, shop, share, vote and view than anyone else. Combining our expertise in human understanding with advanced technologies, Kantar’s 30,000 people help the world’s leading organisations succeed and grow.