Associate Account Director : Qual

Kantar; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 100 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading data insights firm in Johannesburg is seeking an Associate Account Director to manage client relationships and lead a high-performing team. You will be responsible for delivering key revenue and fostering growth for qualitative research. The ideal candidate possesses excellent communication skills, proven team management experience, and showcases a strong analytical ability. The position offers competitive rewards and a supportive environment for career progression.

Qualifications

• Experience and proven excellence in managing a team.
• Exceptional English communication (written and verbally).
• Knowledge of research processes and methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage client relationships.
• Deliver team revenue & Gross Margin.
• Prepare winning proposals and provide insights.

Skills

Consultative

Persuasive

Client focused

People focused

Commercially astute

Education

Experience in managing a team

Senior level client experience

Job description

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in.

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Job Details

Role details: As a trusted partner, clients look to you for brand insights and clear advice.

Responsibilities

You lead and are directly responsible for client relationships, demonstrating exemplary leadership to motivate and grow a high‑performing team around you.

You are excited to stretch further to grow both yourself and members of your team every year.

You will have experience with direct involvement in the analysis and interpretation of consumer research, client engagement and people management.

You are:

• Consultative | develop a strong point of view on clients' business issues and challenge their thinking when necessary
• Persuasive | engage senior client audiences with conviction
• Client focused | develop and lead strategic client relationships
• People focused | inspire and work collaboratively with various teams
• Commercially astute | committed to deliver business growth to agreed targets

The primary responsibility of the Associate Account Director is to foster and sustain strong relationships within our organisation and with clients.

You will deliver approximately 20% of team revenue & 40% Gross Margin.

The ideal incumbent will be a high performer with the ability to foster profitable growth on priority clients, and deliver excellent results on client satisfaction measures.

As a senior member of the team, you should be comfortable taking the lead and accountability for decision making in as far as overseeing the entire research process, deliverables, client engagement and consultancy.

Key Outcomes

Financial Management and Business Acumen

Accountable for the achievement of team's annual sales, GM and profit results.

Responsible for the growth and profitability of Qualitative Research business for Kantar South Africa.

Develops well‑constructed and justified business plans within the context of the strategic objectives.

Demonstrates an understanding of the commercial environment by successful negotiation; aims for win‑win scenarios.

Identifies commercial strengths and weaknesses to have a clear understanding of leverage.

Client Development and Management

Manages development of client account(s) greater than ZAR 5 million.

Confidently contributes to sector/industry general trends conversations with clients.

Recognised by clients as an expert in one practice area, sector or industry.

Exerts a broad level of influence across the client relationship.

Keeping up to date with research at large and specifically Kantar products and expertise.

Proposals, Analysis and Presentations

Prepare winning proposals and provide insight and thought leadership for team members' proposals.

Continued demonstration of the highest level of research excellence and client issue focus through strategic insights and assistance to internal teams in generating their insights.

Communication

Promote information sharing across country and thought leadership and other value add initiatives.

Communicates effectively to wider team(s) to ensure teamwork and motivation towards goals.

Leadership

Demonstrates and lives our SPARK drivers and behaviours.

Provide the team with strategic direction and insight.

Pioneers new ideas and creates new solutions.

Leads thought leadership events.

Champions knowledge management procedures and policies within the organisation.

Turns conceptual ideas into commercial reality.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills

Experience and proven excellence in managing a team.

Senior level client experience and line management responsibility.

Exceptional English communication (written and verbally) and able to communicate confidently and persuasively across all within an organisation.

Knowledge of research processes and methodologies (quantitative and qualitative).

Ability to consult on research methodologies and products widely both to clients and senior internal staff.

World class analysis and story telling ability.

Able to mentor and train easily.

Effective People Management and performance management ability.

Enhanced financial awareness and commercial know how.

Location

Johannesburg, Bryanston, South Africa

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 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, people help the world's leading organisations succeed and grow.

Apply for a career that's out of the ordinary and join us.