Manager – Dealer Solutions

Overview and Summary

We are Business Scientists. We empower our clients to turn overwhelming industry data into discovery, action and measured success. We are unique market leaders because we find and examine possibilities through the clarity of a scientific lens. To solve the toughest client challenges, we need curious, creative and dedicated people to join our team.

We search out individuals who align with our core values and who adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethics in everything they do. Our company is filled with the brightest minds and the biggest hearts at every level. We recognize that personal success takes on many different forms of the course of our lives – both professional and personally – so we provide a myriad of benefits and programs focused on Wellbeing, Growth, Community and Recognition. One size does not fit all, so we encourage every Urban Scientist to discover their own formula for success. If this sounds like the kind of company you would like to work with, Apply Now!

Overview:

The Manager will be responsible for supporting the delivery of client services on an account team. The Manager is primarily responsible for managing specific projects under the direction of a Sr. Manager. This position is heavily focused on client handling, relationship building, project management and presenting project conclusions to mid-level management. The position also holds responsibility for effectively managing and motivating direct reports. 

This Detroit-based role follows a hybrid schedule, with in-person work at our Detroit, MI office two days a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. Flexibility may evolve based on business needs. During onboarding, additional in-person time may be required to support hands-on training and a smooth start.

URBAN SCIENCE DOES NOT AND WILL NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assumes responsibility for project outcomes, including delivery of projects that are on time, within budgeted hours and at an exceptional level of quality.
• Assumes responsibility for accurate and high-quality data being utilized on assigned projects.
• Provides valuable knowledge and insight to senior management in creating estimates and proposals for clients.
• Serves as liaison between client and Urban Science technical staff on development projects to clearly communicate client needs.
• Acquires and maintains a thorough understanding of client data for assigned projects to properly create client deliverables.
• Partners with internal teams to ensure that software is properly installed, set up and functioning at established quality levels.
• Manages sustainment activities by updating software as appropriate to function at established quality levels.
• Effectively responds to client inquiries/requests in a timely manner to help improve client satisfaction.
• Establishes long-term business relationships with clients and understands client business needs to better identify client opportunities and support contract renewals.
• Designs, creates and manages client databases, utilizing Urban Science proprietary software, ensuring accurate and high-quality data.
• Maintains a thorough understanding of one or more Urban Science solutions and applies that knowledge to better meet client needs.
• Adheres to quality control standards for Urban Science and client organizations.
• Leads or participates in presenting project status updates, using appropriate presentation tools, to client representatives or internal management to clearly communicate project results and conclusions.
• Provides input to upper management in connection with assessing competitive conditions to detect on-time business opportunities and/or deter competitive business threats.
• Actively supports and participates in required Urban Science training programs to achieve targeted development objectives.Actively works with manager to understand and implement solutions to improve NPS (client satisfaction).
• Coordinates with individuals or teams to complete analyses, tasks and projects on time and with high quality.
• Proactively communicates with upper management to provide updates and report issues in a timely manner.
• Works with manager to develop team-oriented goals, which are to be reviewed and updated regularly.
• Works with manager in completing annual goal setting and performance review promptly.
• Actively supports and promotes change initiatives and provides direction on how change initiatives impact workflow or performance.
• Actively works with manager and Managing Director to support and promote internal employee engagement initiatives.
• Works with manager to prioritize other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsible for all aspects of RSTMM (recruit, select, train, manage, motivate) of selected staff which includes the following:

• Interviewing & selection
• Setting objectives
• Conducting performance appraisals
• Assigning and prioritizing work
• Approval of timesheets
• Establish and maintain quality, quantity and timeliness of work
• Employee development, career planning and promotions
• Oversee training
• Coach, mentor, manage and motivate
• Interpret and carry out established corporate policy, including disciplinary procedures

Qualifications - Education and Experience

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or competency needed for successful performance in the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

•  Verbal Communication: Requires the ability to compose and verbally deliver information of varying levels, using appropriate grammar, tone, inflection and non-verbal cues, while also listening to and correctly deciphering verbal communication delivered by others

• Written Communication:  Requires the ability and capacity to communicate ideas, facts and data in writing using appropriate grammar, syntax and sentence structure

• Analytical Thinking:  Requires the ability to understand a situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces, and/or tracing the implications of a situation in a step-by-step causal way

• Results Oriented:  Requires the ability to strive for optimal results by taking responsibility for timeliness, commitment to task and adherence to performance standards

• Ethics & Integrity:  Requires the ability to behave in a trustworthy & transparent manner

• Teamwork & Cooperation:  Requires the ability to work cooperatively with others and be part of a team

• Self-Control:  Requires the ability to keep emotions under control and to restrain from negative actions or behaviors

• Information Seeking:  Requires the drive to gain a deeper understanding of work-related issues or events by making a concerted effort to gather information and seek out development opportunities

• Initiative:  Requires the drive to go above and beyond to improve or enhance job results

• Quality Control:  Requires the ability to monitor and check work related information and deliverables ensuring high quality and accuracy

• Customer Service:  Requires the ability to understand and help/assist both internal and external customers and meet their needs

• Flexibility/Adaptability:   Requires the ability to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of situations, individuals or groups, as well as understand and appreciate different and opposing perspectives

• Conceptual Thinking:  Requires the ability to understand a situation or problem by putting the different pieces together to see the bigger picture

• Interpersonal Understanding:  Requires the ability to understand other’s feelings and concerns, and to value individual differences in people

• Self-Confidence:  Requires the ability to express confidence in dealing with challenging circumstances, in reaching decisions or forming opinions and in handling failures or setbacks constructively

• Organizational Commitment:  Requires the ability and willingness to align his/her own behavior with the needs, priorities and goals of the organization

• Relationship Building:  Requires the ability to effectively build and maintain friendly, warm relationships or networks of contacts with clients/customers

• Assertiveness:  Requires the ability and intent to appropriately display assertive behaviors to ensure others follow and comply with given directions

• Developing & Coaching:  Requires the ability, desire and intent to teach and foster the development and long-term capability of one or more employees by providing coaching, direction and feedback to enhance performance

• Database: Requires demonstrated knowledge of relational database management, including, creating and executing queries, creating scripts, importing/exporting data and manipulating data; knowledge and experience with SQL is required

• Math & Statistics: Requires the ability to select and apply the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem; requires basic descriptive statistics knowledge and the ability to understand and interpret statistical analyses

• MS Office: Requires demonstrated knowledge of MS Excel for charting and graphing of data, writing formulas and utilizing functions, and filtering, sorting and formatting of data; requires intermediate knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint and Access; knowledge and experience with Visio preferred

• Technical/Software: Requires the ability to understand and work with software tools & packages used by Urban Science

• Time Management: Requires strong capability to prioritize competing demands, manage multiple concurrent tasks and run meetings on schedule

• Project Management:  Project management skills strongly preferred, including the ability to estimate work efforts, define work plans, delegate work, monitor progress and report schedule variances and scope changes; requires the ability to follow established internal PMO procedures and present project conclusions to management; proficiency with MS Project preferred

• Sales & Business Development: Ability to identify potential new opportunities from the client and proactively communicate those opportunities to management is required; knowledge and understanding of sales and business development processes is strongly preferred

• Budget/Finance:  Ability to understand and interpret margins, revenues and cost sheets is strongly preferred

• Negotiation:  Knowledge and understanding of pricing, scope, cost estimates and internal/external impacts is strongly preferred

Education and Certifications:

• University degree required; technical degrees are strongly preferred (i.e., engineering, applied math, statistics, applied science, information systems, operations research, etc.) from an accredited college or university, or equivalent foreign institution. Non-technical degrees will be considered if candidate possesses appropriate level of analytical and technical knowledge required for the role.

• Minimum of 6 years related work experience required (8 years' experience preferred) 

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

• Certification of Consultant in one Practice area OR Certification of Apprentice in two practice areas required (or external equivalent)
• People First leadership training required (or external equivalent)
• Intro to Operations Research (or external equivalent) 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This description is intended to describe the type and level of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is NOT an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by a person so classified. The job may require additional hours beyond the normal 40-hour workweek.