Account Director – Market Research & Insights

Forethought; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work from Melbourne HQ

Summer Fridays

Birthday leave

Job summary

Forethought is seeking an Account Director to lead client partnerships and grow a portfolio across utilities, financial services, higher education, healthcare and more.

You’ll own accounts, win new business, and guide teams to deliver high-quality work using advanced AI tools like BrandComms.AI and Prescian Synthetic. The role is hybrid from our Melbourne headquarters with opportunities to influence our evolving offering.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in market research or research-led consulting with senior client relationships.
• Ability to identify opportunities and guide proposals, pitches and opportunities through to conversion.
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of managing revenue targets and profitability.
• Proven ability to translate evidence into clear strategic and commercial advice.

Responsibilities

• Grow the client portfolio and manage portfolio revenue, pipeline and profitability.
• Lead opportunities from initial conversation through to proposal, pitch and conversion.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver insights-driven, AI-enabled work on time and within budget.
• Translate research findings into practical recommendations for clients across industries.
• Build deep knowledge of each client’s industry and competitive landscape.

Skills

Market research

Customer insights

Client management

Business development

Revenue accountability

Tools

BrandComms.AI

Prescian Synthetic

Job description

Help leading organisations across a diverse range of industries better understand their customers, and turn those insights into commercial impact.

At Forethought, we combine research, advanced analytics, AI and commercial thinking to help leading brands make confident decisions. We’re looking for an Account Director to lead client partnerships and grow a portfolio within our diverse client base.

• Utilities and essential services, including water, gas and telecommunications, alongside aviation and travel.
• Wealth management and financial services, including finance, banking, superannuation and insurance.
• Higher education and professional services.
• Healthcare and other sectors.

This is a role for a commercially minded insights professional who enjoys building trusted client partnerships, winning new business and guiding teams to deliver exceptional work. You’ll take ownership of your accounts, with room to expand your influence and grow your career as the business develops.

You’ll also have access to some of the world’s most advanced AI tools, including the BrandComms.AI™ platform and Prescian™ Synthetic, bringing emerging technology into your work alongside established research and analytical expertise.

What you’ll do

Grow the portfolio

• Develop and execute a business development plan for your client portfolio.
• Identify new opportunities, build relationships with prospective clients and lead opportunities from initial conversation through to proposal, pitch and conversion.
• Grow existing accounts by identifying where research, analytics, AI-enabled solutions and strategic advice can address emerging client needs.
• Take accountability for portfolio revenue, pipeline and commercial performance.
• Act as a senior strategic partner to clients, building relationships with decision-makers across customer experience, marketing, insights and strategy.
• Develop account plans that connect clients’ priorities with opportunities for meaningful, long-term collaboration.
• Bring a clear point of view to client conversations, translating research findings into practical recommendations.
• Build a strong understanding of each client’s industry, business and competitive environment.

Deliver high-quality work

• Shape research programmes with the right methodologies, analytical approaches and outputs to answer each client’s business questions.
• Lead project teams to deliver insightful, commercially relevant work on time and within budget.
• Turn complex findings into compelling narratives, presentations and strategic recommendations.
• Draw on Forethought’s research, analytics and AI capabilities to strengthen how we address client challenges.
• Oversee project scope, resourcing and profitability, balancing excellent client service with commercial discipline.

Develop people and capability

• Coach and support consultants, strengthening their research, storytelling and client-management skills.
• Collaborate across research, analytics and technology teams to bring the right expertise to each engagement.
• Contribute to proposals, thought leadership and the ongoing development of our offering.
• Share knowledge across industries and help teams explore new approaches, technologies and ways of working.

What you’ll bring

• Demonstrated experience in market research, customer insights or research-led consulting, with responsibility for senior client relationships.
• Experience working with clients across one or more industries, with the curiosity and adaptability to understand new sectors and business challenges.
• Commercial acumen, including experience managing revenue targets, project budgets and profitability.
• A track record of winning new business and growing existing accounts.
• Strong research foundations and the ability to translate evidence into clear strategic and commercial advice.
• Confidence leading proposals, pitches, workshops and presentations with senior stakeholders.
• A collaborative leadership style and a genuine commitment to developing others.
• Curiosity about how AI, advanced analytics and emerging research approaches can deepen insights and improve client outcomes.

Experience in any of our key industry portfolios is welcome, but we’re equally interested in the strength of your client leadership, commercial thinking and research expertise.

Why Forethought?

• Room to grow: expand your responsibilities and leadership contribution as you build your portfolio.
• Diverse client challenges: work with organisations across a range of industries on decisions that matter to their customers and their business.
• Advanced AI at your fingertips: access some of the world’s most advanced AI tools, including BrandComms.AI and Prescian Synthetic, alongside deep research and analytical expertise.
• Expert collaboration: work alongside specialists in research, analytics and technology, including our synthetic data start-up, Prescian Synthetic.
• Meaningful influence: contribute to how we evolve our offering and bring new approaches to clients.
• Flexibility and benefits: enjoy hybrid working from our Melbourne headquarters, Summer Fridays and birthday leave.

With a 30+ year track record and offices in Melbourne and New York, Forethought is an award-winning customer and marketing analytics firm. We bring together research, advanced analytics, AI and commercial thinking to help leading brands make better decisions.

We partner with organisations across utilities and essential services, aviation and travel, financial services, higher education, professional services, healthcare and beyond.

Our success starts with exceptional people, and giving them the support, opportunity and freedom to do exceptional work.