Do you want to consult and influence the decisions of some of the largest brands in the world? Do you get excited about building new client partnerships? Join us on an exciting journey and be part of SKIM’s newest business expansion in France as our Client Partnership Director!
SKIM is a fast-growing marketing research consultancy with offices in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America. For over 40 years, we have been trusted partners to the world’s largest CPG, technology, and healthcare brands. We specialize in modelling and understanding people’s decision making in the areas of New Product Development, Brand Communication and Revenue Growth Management & Pricing. In our vision, a combination of methodological robustness, marketing domain expertise and understanding the client’s business is the key to building lasting strategic partnerships with our clients.
As evidenced by our #6 position in GRIT’s report of most innovative research agencies, we believe in continuously improving our solutions and expertise frameworks. But above all else, we believe in a culture where smart, ambitious, and genuine people support each other, follow their dreams, balance priorities in life and bring everyone’s unique skills together in a collaborative global community.
Job description
As the Client Partnership Director for France, you will be based in our newly opened office in Paris (7 Rue de Madrid – 8eme). You will be mainly responsible for finding and building new client partnerships among top-tier multinationals by providing research-based insights and business solutions.
More specifically, your primary responsibilities are:
- Developing a commercial strategy, setting goals, and leading business development initiatives to meet these goals, ensuring the required time and energy is spent on business development and account management efforts.
- Building and managing new client relationships and accounts.
- Building industry expertise, brand positioning and developing relevant Product Market Combinations
- Serving as a strategic sparring partner, you will discuss marketing issues/business problems with clients throughout the market research projects, preparing innovative proposals and taking a consultative role.
- Helping answer complex business questions for our clients by applying and adapting advanced and solid research techniques, with out–of-the-box thinking.
- Staying involved – in different levels of intensity – during projects to ensure client fitting proposals and solutions truly addressing client’s business issues
- Working together with the new Paris team and other colleagues across our offices in Europe (Berlin, Rotterdam, and London)
- Taking a leading role towards the Paris team and office, by further shaping and giving identity to our new Paris office in line with our company DNA and values
- Expected business travel within France and to our Headquarters in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have prior consulting and research experience on the agency side, combined with an understanding of advanced analytical and data science techniques (e.g., conjoint and multivariate analysis). Typically, we are looking for someone with the following profile:
- 8+ years of relevant work experience within Consumer Insights / Market Research.
- Proven track record of successfully driving commercial growth and business development in the French market.
- Extensive network of contacts and relationships within the French business landscape.
- Strong understanding of local market trends, business practices, and cultural nuances.
- Experience in building and maintaining client relationships, based on a consultative mindset and with a focus on fostering long-term partnerships.
- Knowing how to balance commercial savviness with a people-oriented way of working, both towards colleagues as (potential) clients
- Proven ability to navigate complex organizations to find decision makers, champions, and key stakeholders while creating strong relationships at every level.
- Native French speaker with excellent verbal and written communication skills in French.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
- Authorization to work in France (resident, citizen, valid visa or other).
Our offer
SKIM is an equal opportunity employer and offers a flexible working environment and people-centric culture where people who appreciate intellectual freedom, team play, and a “can do” mentality thrive. We offer a competitive salary & benefits package that includes the following:
- Annual performance-based and profit-sharing bonus
- A hybrid working environment
- High value placed on taking initiative and ownership
- Passionate, intelligent, and supporting colleagues
- Open, communicative, and international work environment
- Flat organizational structure
- Focus on true work / life balance
- Regular team outings and events
- SKIM University with a broad selection of trainings
At SKIM, we value diversity, equity and inclusion. With increased diversity comes greater variety of perspectives, ideas and creativity, and we foster an environment where everyone feels welcome and comfortable to be their authentic selves. Therefore, we welcome diversity in applicants and base our hiring decisions regardless of age, race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic characteristics, marital or military status.
Additional information
Thank you for taking the time to read the description of this role, and we look forward to reading your submission if this role sounds very exciting to you! We read each application carefully and will get back to you as soon as we can.
Please note that only completed applications, consisting of a resume and cover letter, written in English, will be considered.