Job description
The Company:
Originally founded in 1979 as Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), SymphonyIRI Group is the world’s leading innovative partner that helps clients transform insight into impact at every level of
their organization across sales, marketing, merchandising, category/brand management and shopper marketing to achieve high performance and growth. Driving the transformation of the consumer packaged
goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, only SymphonyIRI has the unique offering of intelligent people with deep domain expertise across a variety of different industries and specialties, the
innovative solutions powered by predictive analytical models and breakthrough information processing and business intelligence capabilities supported by revolutionary technology platforms and the
integration of unrivaled empirical information on markets, consumers and shoppers from virtually any source to deliver new levels of performance and growth.
The company has been providing market solutions for CPG manufacturers and retailers for nearly 30 years. In late 2003, the company was acquired by the industry-visionary company Symphony
Technology Group, run by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani. That acquisition has been the catalyst for a major transformation. Since the acquisition, the company has focused on changing the value proposition for
its CPG, retail and healthcare clients by striving for a ten-fold increase in the value its clients realize from its market information, analytic, strategic consulting and decision support software
solutions. To support these efforts, SymphonyIRI has been focused on developing predictive, on-demand analytic applications designed to empower manufacturers and retailers to manage their businesses
for profitable growth.
Currently privately held, SymphonyIRI Holdings, Inc. serves as a holding company for the equity interests of SymphonyIRI shareholders. Symphony Technology Group, a leading provider of enterprise
solutions that enable maximum business performance in the consumer products and retail industries, is the majority shareholder of SymphonyIRI Holdings. With its vast client base, Symphony enhances
SymphonyIRI’s collective powers of investment, industry expertise, research and development, global operations, and technology to address its clients’ needs.
Modeling and Analytics Solutions Group (MAS):
SymphonyIRI’s industry-renowned analytic experts consult with clients to design custom solutions to address critical business issues. The company provides custom analysis aimed at improving future
decision-making through the analysis of historical data. In-store promotions, advertising and direct marketing are the key elements of many marketing budgets; the key is finding the most effective
combination of each to improve sales and profitability and build brands in both the long and short term.
Through analyzing the effects of different marketing activities, the MAS team recommends the combination of marketing activity that goes furthest towards meeting the ultimate objective of
increasing product sales and marketing objectives. SymphonyIRI’s leading edge analytical modeling, consumer insights and testing services help their clients analyze consumer response to marketing
activity across a broad spectrum of issues.
Reporting Relationship:
The Director, Modeling and Analytics Services Group (MAS) will report a Sr. Vice President, Who reports to the Group President in charge of the overall Modeling and Analytics practice. Could
potentially have up to two reports.
Responsibilities:
The Director, in addition to assisting the Sr, Vice President with the management of key accounts, will "own" the client relationships at established SymphonyIRI accounts that encompass a diverse
roster of clients (and categories). He/she will leverage strong team leadership skills (one or more direct reports) and the full suite of SymphonyIRI analytics tools to identify and address a variety
of critical client issues including those related to spending efficiency, consumer targeting, marketing mix analysis, pricing strategy and portfolio analysis. While activities vary, approximately 60%
of the Director’s time will be spent developing a deep understanding of client issues, scoping those issues within a project framework, managing deliverable development/innovation and
deriving/presenting the insights/strategy to the client. The remaining time will be allocated to assisting their team with the preparation of insight-laden analyses, developing/mentoring their team
and monitoring project progress and work-flow to assure achievement of delivery commitments.
Senior/Executive-level client interface is essential and expected. Daily client contact will cut across Marketing, Market Research, Brand and Sales and increasingly, other client functional areas
as the New SymphonyIRI evolves to provide solutions that address enterprise-wide client business issues and, because the IRI software platform is data agnostic, incorporate new data sources (e.g.,
Acxiom, Rx, Retail Link, and C-Store).
At all times, the Director will serve as a passionate client advocate and in so doing will advance solutions that will best build their client’s long-term businesses in a way to maximize client
and SymphonyIRI return-on-investment. Resources available include SymphonyIRI’s world-class bank of unparalleled knowledge capital, aligned sales and product development departments, robust
investment in analytics, and a proven corporate track record of delivering strategic solutions versus data. While exceeding revenue targets is key, success is equally measured by the ability to
create indispensable, long-term, solution-focused consultative partnerships.
Other responsibilities include:
- Tie contractual and custom solutions to critical client issues
- Manage to aggressive revenue commitments/Effectively sell in modeling
- Maintain/enhance close alignment with key SymphonyIRI groups: Client Solutions, New Business, Retention and Renewals, Analytic Research & Development and Analytic Product Marketing
Requirements:
- Eight or more years of experience solving business issues with the consultative application of advanced analytics in a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or Pharmaceutical setting within one or more
of the following types of companies:
- Manufacturer (working with or purchasing advanced analytics)
- Quantitative market research supplier
- Top Tier Consulting Firm working with CPG/Retail Clients
- Experience delivering insight to internal or external clients by building on a technical foundation that includes a conceptual understanding of modeling techniques and a basic grasp of statistics
utilizing SAS or SPSS packages.
- A practical versus academic understanding of analytics applications in ECONOMETRIC modeling a must. To have an understanding of Bayesian and Shrinkage Modeling a plus.
- General knowledge of quantitative syndicated research products, services and methodologiescapacity to tie quantitative tools to key client business issues
- Demonstrated ability to sell analytic concepts internally or externally—a hunger for profitability and overall business success
- Demonstrated leadership acumen—for direct reports and cross-functional project teams
- Will need to be located in the Chicago area and open to travel.
- Will need to be able to be on-site at the client at least 4 days a week.
- A demonstrable flexible and open approach to learning
Education:
Undergraduate degree required in Marketing, Economics or business related field. Advanced degree is a plus.
About SymphonyIRI Group
SymphonyIRI Group, formerly named Information Resources, Inc. (“IRI”), is the global leader in innovative solutions and services for driving revenue and profit growth in CPG, retail and healthcare
companies. SymphonyIRI offers two families of solutions: Core IRI solutions for market measurement and Symphony Advantage solutions for enabling new growth opportunities in marketing, sales, shopper
marketing and category management. SymphonyIRI solutions uniquely combine content, analytics and technology to deliver maximum impact. SymphonyIRI helps companies create, plan and execute
forward-looking, shopper-centric strategies across every level of the organization. For more information, visit http://www.SymphonyIRI.com.