Associate Director

Job Description

NIQ delivers the most complete and clear understanding of consumer buying behavior, revealing new pathways to growth. We work with some of the world’s most innovative retailers on challenging, cutting-edge, data-driven solutions powered by data science, technology, and people. 

The Associate Director, Customer Insights is responsible for managing NIQ's Customer Insights team and the related insights and merchandising analytics deliverables for a strategic retail client relationship. This role involves developing strategic plans, driving data-driven loyalty and merchandising strategies and insights, and leveraging those insights to drive incremental sales and profits for our client. The Associate Director will lead our day-to-day client relationships, ensuring client satisfaction, retention, and growth. The successful candidate will focus on understanding unique client priorities and identifying which NIQ solutions are best aligned to the client needs. 

About You: you constantly seek to learn new things and lean into new capabilities. Change excites you. Curiosity, communication, and critical thinking drive your work. You make data applicable and interesting for your clients, and mold it into a story that flows, driving outcomes that have actionable results.  You develop the skills and capabilities of your individual direct reports and create a collaborative and high-performing team that executes to your expectations. You confidently drive winning outcomes that meet strategic client objectives.   

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Strategic Planning and Execution: 

   • Develop clear plans around  deliverables for clients

   • Create phased roadmaps of key activities, deliverables, and results

   • Lead the implementation and execution of NIQ's recommendations within client merchandising teams through training, communication, and analysis

2. Client Relationship Management: 

   • Act as the primary customer insights team lead with client stakeholders

   • Establish and manage deliverables with Category Management, Loyalty, Insights, and Assortment client teams

   • Build and maintain strong partnerships with clients and internal stakeholders

   • Ensure client satisfaction, contract renewal, and long-term growth

   • Drive improved relationships with key client contacts across all client teams, increase client penetration, and improve awareness of NIQ products and services to drive increased revenue growth

3. Analytics and Insights: 

   • Leverage your team and NIQ’s products to deliver impactful customer and merchandising insights and recommendations

   • Troubleshoot data discrepancies and ensure accurate analysis

   • Provide consultative support on best practices for leveraging customer and other analytical insights into retailer routines such as category reviews, joint business planning, assortment rationalization and product innovation

   • Ensure you and your team develop highly engaging stories and content around the insights and recommendations you generate

4. Project Management: 

   • Manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and projects across your team 

   • Execute the delivery of projects and analyses, ensuring timely outcomes and client satisfaction

   • Lead meetings and presentations with key stakeholders

5. Innovation and Development: 

   • Identify opportunities to develop new capabilities and approaches

   • Stay current with industry trends and educate clients on innovative merchandising practices

   • Contribute to the development of NIQ products/services and client service models 

   • Support thought leadership through internal learning, knowledge-sharing, and development

6. Team Leadership and Development: 

   • Manage and develop your associates into a high-performing, highly engaged team with high retention

   • Set career paths and resource development structures to maintain and scale a highly engaged team

   • Mentor and coach associates to align with the company's vision and strategy

   • Aid in the recruitment, training, and development of the consulting and services team 

7. Business Development: 

   • Identify and surface up organic growth opportunities with your client regularly and hand off to Sales Leaders to enable them to achieve sales goals

   • Play a supporting role in business development for prospective clients as a subject matter expert

8. Collaboration and Customer Experience: 

   • Build collaborative relationships with cross-functional NIQ Partners, Client Teams, and Practice Areas across NIQ

   • Work collaboratively with your clients to identify and deliver analytical insights that translate into actionable strategies and tactics to improve performance and deliver value against our products

   • Drive high customer satisfaction and willingness to recommend NIQ to others in the industry

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
• 5-10 years of experience in the retail, CPG industry and/or related sales, category management, analytics space with direct experience with customer insights platforms preferred 
• Prior experience with NIQ (or similar) solutions preferred
• Experience working with a retailer or CPG, specifically in roles related to customer loyalty, merchandising analytics or insight teams
• Consultative client skills and innovative problem-solving skills
• Polished, persuasive communication skills with experience in presenting data analysis to stakeholders and decision-makers
• Strong analytical aptitude and proficiency in a range of software and digital technologies
• Proven experience in successfully leading complex client relationships
• Proven track record of building client engagement 
• Experience building relationships and consensus with clients
• Strong sense of urgency and accountability to drive client outcomes
• People management, training, and development experience required