FAB Director JD Oct 23

Current openings

Director / Research Director

We’re seeking a dynamic and experienced Director to join and help shape our growing and evolving UK Financial and Business sector team.

The successful candidate(s) will have a keen sense for identifying and delivering on growth and business development opportunities. They will enjoy building mutually beneficial relationships with clients and colleagues alike and will bring a growth mindset, along with a focus on innovation and personal & professional development to the team.

The ideal candidate(s) will already be operating at Director or Research Director level (or will be an experienced Associate Director seeking their next challenge). They will have gained experience from either an agency or client-side role, ideally within the Financial Services, Real Estate or Insurance sectors.

They should be looking for a move that allows them to put into practice and further develop their already strong capabilities to:

Grow and nurture client relationships
Identify opportunities and translate these into winning client propositions
Deliver the very best of what BVA BDRC has to offer to clients
Play a key role in enhancing our client offer through the adoption of the latest techniques and technologies
Coach and mentor our future talent to achieve their potential

What’s the job?

The day-to-day role will be based within the Financial and Business sector team, working primarily on projects for clients working for many of the UK’s leading banks and financial institutions. At BVA BDRC we foster a strong culture of collaboration and there will also be opportunity to work alongside colleagues in other sectors and in other parts of the BVA Family from time to time.

The work is varied, dynamic and challenging. Although all colleagues are expected to operate across both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and be flexible enough to work on a mix of ad-hoc and continuous projects, we are also keen to hear from individuals with either a strong qualitative, innovation or brand background.

You will be part of a team setting the direction for the development of capabilities and products targeted at the sector. You will take personal ownership of select client relationships, shape key account plans, lead RFP responses and execute major projects with the support of the wider team. At director-level within the agency, you will be invited to provide input to all strategically significant tender responses as well as key resourcing decisions.

This is a senior role and one that will include line management and people development responsibilities.

What you’ll do

You will hit the ground running with an initial focus on meeting key client contacts and team members, helping to respond to pitches and overseing project delivery.

Other key aspects of the role include:

Client engagement, ongoing relationship management and planning of key accounts
Overseeing execution of the plans and developing new ideas to deepen and broaden relationships
Leading pitches/proposals for new work, blending an understanding of client needs with our solutions and processes to design and cost successful programmes
Executing major projects with the support of your team
Working in partnership with our new project management function, be a trusted advisor for project delivery, both internally and with clients, taking their objectives into account.
Coaching, mentoring and developing colleagues
Developing new offers and areas of insight specialism
Developing thought leadership content, presenting at industry events, supporting the agency’s positioning and maximising its visibility
Taking the initiative to continuously improve the type and quality of work we do and the efficiency with which we do it

What you’ll bring

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

Experience in senior qualitative or quantitative insight role (agency or client-side), a thorough understanding of different research approaches and methods and a perspective on how these are evolving
A track record of designing qualitative/quantitative programmes and research to meet client objectives and to deliver to client needs, ideally in the Financial Services sector
Attention to detail and the ability to multi-task, managing various projects across multiple clients simultaneously and to tight deadlines
Entrepreneurial spirit – a willingness to challenge the status quo, instigate and embrace change but balanced with a healthy respect for alternative perspectives
Passion and credibility – an innate ability to evangelise, to galvanise a team, encouraging others to embrace change and continuous improvement
Commercial acumen – a track record of developing products and profit-generating capabilities, excellent knowledge of cost vs. price and margins, experience completing RFQs, successfully managing budgets
Ambition – be prepared to work hard to take the company forward
Excellent, fluent, written and spoken English (fluency in other languages is a bonus but not a requirement)
The ability to develop and sustain lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders and the ability to grow and nurture client expectations
Leadership of a team / management and coaching of other direct reports
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – the ability to adopt a journalistic and impactful story telling approach

Desirable but not essential:

A strong qualitative background and with an appetite to help develop and evolve our qualitative practice.
Experience of developing new products / client propositions to help position the agency well in the external market.
Experience of brand research or brand tracking

What you’ll enjoy

Competitive salary

Discretionary year-end bonus

Hybrid working, mixing home with our London offices in King’s Cross and Angel

26 days annual leave, increasing with service

A variety of employee benefits

A supportive and collaborative culture

Comprehensive training programmes

Progression based on achievements, not time in role

Monthly social events and regular CSR activities

Are you right for the role?

Send us your CV with a brief email about why you’d be a good fit, with ‘Director / Research Director’ in the subject.

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