Client Service Director, UK

Advantage Group; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Advantage Group International is seeking a dynamic Client Service Director to lead the UK market, reporting to the Managing Director, UK & Ireland. This home-based role requires extensive experience in senior sales, category management, and customer marketing within FMCG sectors, with strong client service instincts and superb presentation skills.

You will drive revenue growth, build networks with retailers and suppliers, and deliver compelling insights to senior stakeholders through

Qualifications

• Senior sales or client service leadership experience in FMCG.
• Experience with UK grocery/retail sectors is essential.
• Strong storytelling and presentation skills for senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide sales and client service leadership for the UK market.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers and retailers to deliver value.
• Lead new business opportunities and revenue growth.
• Present insights to senior stakeholders using Advantage data.

Skills

Sales leadership

UK FMCG knowledge

Client relationship management

Presentation skills

Stakeholder management

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Tableau

BI tools

AI tools

Job description

Client Service Director, United Kingdom

Advantage Group International is seeking an enthusiastic, trusted, and resilient Client Service Director to join us in our journey of helping businesses be better together

What Matters to Us

Our History and Mission: Thirty years ago, in Toronto, Canada, Founder Ron Pirie championed the belief that businesses work better together when they commit to actively listening and responding to each other’s feedback.

Ron’s original idea to have retailers’ rate and rank their suppliers was first conceptualized in 1988. Not long after, FMCGs and retailers throughout North America began to recognize that strong and measurable relationships are at the heart of improved business performance.

From humble beginnings and a staunch and universal belief that stronger collaboration leads to better business results in any market and any industry, our relationship benchmarking capabilities have become the gold standard for measuring business-to-business engagement in over 40 countries.

Our Values

• Be Engaged – Be engaged, on the team, and in the game.
• Empathetic Feedback – Give and receive empathetic feedback.
• High Performance – Succeed with a high‑performance attitude.
• Find a Better Way – Seek to improve and find a better way.

Who We’re Seeking to Join Our Team

Reporting to the Managing Director, UK & Ireland, the successful candidate ideally holds 15+ years of experience in a senior sales, category management and/or customer marketing role at a large FMCG supplier, and/or has held senior trading management positions at a grocery retailer.

Client service experience at a market research or marketing agency, servicing clients within the FMCG and Grocery Retail sectors is also a viable career path to be successful in this role.

Current or recent experience of the UK Grocery Retail, Convenience, Wholesale, Foodservice and/or On Trade industry is a must-have with either a strong supplier or retailer background. Knowledge of other emerging retail, digital and wholesale sales channels is desirable. Candidates with experience in Private Label or Branded background will be suitable for the role.

Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, particularly MS Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with Tableau or other BI tools is considered an asset. Strong understanding and utlilsation of AI and associated tools would be a powerful benefit.

The successful candidate will be a proficient data analyst, able to deliver insight for clients in compelling and engaging presentations to varied audiences (retailers, wholesalers and suppliers), and importantly to senior stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like in this Role

Provides sales and client service leadership for the Advantage business in the UK. Specific responsibilities include:

• Achieve revenue growth goals by maximizing client retention (>90%), increasing market penetration amongst new clients and driving weight of purchase with existing clients.
• Build strong business relationships and networks with our clients (suppliers and retailers) and ensure that they are enjoying high levels of value and insights from the Advantage programmes.
• Leading new business funnel management, development and conversion to win new business.
• Identifying and pioneering new sources of revenue through external market intelligence, revision of existing capabilities and/or solution based selling.
• Provides regular client insight presentations and performance updates through compelling presentation content and style.
• As an thought leader, help to enhance the Advantage brand, building our status as trusted advisor within the FMCG community, through presentations, workshops, webinars and industry conference participation.
• Deliver strong Client Experience metrics in Advantage Groups Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey.
• Works collaboratively with the UK Operations Director and local and global Programme management and Client service teams to deliver shared objectives around Sales, Coverage and Client Experience.
• Assists the Managing Director in developing the annual business plans for the UK market.

The Capabilities and Skills that Matter

• Senior sales, customer marketing, retailer, and/or client service experience that enables real-world storytelling and provides client confidence.
• Expert in U.K. FMCG, Grocery Retail, Convenience, Wholesale, Foodservice and/or On Trade market (acknowledging other channel opportunities).
• A powerful network of contacts amongst UK Grocery retailers and suppliers to help unlock business development opportunities.
• Polished presentation skills: comfortable and confident working with small and large audiences, online and offline deliveries and senior vs day to day contacts.
• Strong organisational agility, able to manage complex client networks and ecosystems to unlock new value for Advantage Group.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, able to communicate effectively internally and with senior supplier/retailer contacts.
• A practical understanding of market research principles / concepts.
• Reliably works with limited supervision and a high sense of urgency.
• Ability to manage complex research / consulting projects
• Advocate and enabler of change programmes, able to deal with ambiguity and self-manage progress and problem solving with a positive attitude.
• Team player able to adapt to different styles of working with a small local team and extended Pan-European and Pan Global contacts.

Where You’ll be Located

This role will be home based in the UK. Expected travel is moderate but may be high at peak times of the year throughout the country as part of:

1. Onboarding and induction process.
2. Meetings with and presentations to senior retailer and supplier clients in the UK will be required.
3. Relevant conferences or industry events
4. Client visits within the UK as required and more frequently during Peak Season

Overnight stays will be supported as required to perform the role powerfully, while mileage will be reimbursed for client/industry visits in line with HMRC guidelines.

Frequent and proficient use of Video Conferencing (MS Teams, Google Meets) will be required in the role.

The Functional Competencies We Value

Advantage has identified the following set of competencies that successful Client Service leaders demonstrate and develop in the role over time:

Outstanding Industry Connectivity

Building thriving relationships within the UK and Ireland grocery industry, particularly FMCG suppliers and retailers. Becoming a trusted advisor within the FMCG community and creating mutually beneficial relationships with individuals outside of our own organisation that allows access to resources and expertise.

Client Leadership

Acting as an advocate for our clients, understanding their needs, and recommending the right solutions. Conducting the necessary activities to drive long‑term, sustainable, growth for both Advantage and our clients, while achieving high levels of client engagement.

Prospecting for Growth

The ability to use prospecting principles, processes, and tools to identify and engage potential supplier and retailer clients in the market while continually prospecting within existing clients to understand and present solutions that meet their business needs.

Effective Communication

Understanding and applying effective communication concepts, tools, and techniques. The ability to effectively transmit, receive, and interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviours.

Insightful Presentations

The ability to present compelling and actionable insights using relevant Advantage data, qualitative insight, and trends. Proficient at using storytelling tools and techniques to engage clients and deliver new information. Can facilitate workshops to enable clients to develop clear, simple action plans to improve their performance.

Business and Financial Planning

The ability to apply business and financial concepts to make business plans and decisions to create value for our company and for our clients.

Entrepreneurial Drive

The ability to take different and creative actions to overcome obstacles that get in the way of reaching goals. Being driven, ambitious, and motivated to grow the business and exceed targets consistently and successfully.

Strategic Agility

The ability to anticipate future opportunities and trends accurately. Being future oriented and able to create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans. Understands current market dynamics and future trends predicted by Advantage data and industry insight

Coaching for Success

Knowledge of coaching concepts and methods; ability to encourage, motivate, and guide individuals or teams in learning and improving effectiveness.