Senior Director

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Senior Director

Department: Client Teams

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: London

Description

The Senior Director is a pivotal, commercially driven leadership role, designed for a strategic partner who operates at the intersection of data, human behavior, and profitable business growth. Your primary mission is to create and deliver insight-driven strategies that shape the future of our clients' brands, while consistently meeting growth targets and identifying opportunities for upselling and expansion.

You will be the definitive voice that moves beyond reporting data to activating it, crafting compelling narratives, building actionable roadmaps, and guiding C-level executives through pivotal decisions. Crucially, you possess a creative and entrepreneurial instinct, able to see where strategy meets execution to bring ideas vividly to life in the real world. Externally, you are the embodiment of consultancy, proactively developing business and growing key accounts. Internally, you are a maestro, responsible for mentoring our talent, advancing our methodologies - particularly in consultative AI and qualitative excellence - and embedding a culture of strategic excellence that translates deep consumer understanding into undeniable commercial impact.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Insight Activation & Storytelling

• Design and select optimal methodologies (phases, methods, sample) to actively test business hypotheses (not just explore), using agile principles to ensure focus and efficiency. This role demands a high bar for qualitative demand and creative output.
• Uncover the deeper truth by diagnosing unstated client needs (e.g., identifying budget/political constraints beyond the brief), questioning assumptions, and pinpointing the real business challenges.
• Synthesize complex data and integrate findings from multiple sources (qualitative, quantitative, cultural) to identify powerful patterns, trends, and "what's next" implications. Leverage consultative AI tools not just for efficiency, but to unlock deeper, non-obvious human narratives.
• Craft compelling narratives by refining raw insights into boardroom-ready stories with actionable commercial recommendations. This includes a heavy focus on bringing strategy to life through creative frameworks, visual storytelling, and tangible activation plans, not just theoretical models.
• Use data visualization and executive-summary techniques to make insights "sticky" and memorable for client stakeholders.
• Build client capabilities and develop actionable toolkits, playbooks, and strategic road maps. Connects insights into long-term client goals (e.g., creates innovation roadmaps from WOW findings).

Client Consulting & Commercial Growth

• Drive commercial outcomes against defined revenue targets by identifying, creating, and converting opportunities to grow existing and new client revenue at target margins. This includes a proactive mandate for upselling adjacent services and identifying business development white space within your portfolio.
• Act as a trusted advisor and manage senior client relationships, setting strategic direction, managing scope, and ensuring exceptional delivery satisfaction. Guides clients through ambiguity (e.g., resetting expectations when research contradicts hypotheses).
• Lead strategic workshops by designing and facilitating AI-assisted client workshops across Innovation, Brand, and Experience to unlock new value. These workshops must not only inspire but also create tangible commercial momentum and follow-on project opportunities.
• Deliver actionable foresight and synthesize complex information to provide clear, memorable implications and strategic "how to win" recommendations grounded in commercial reality. Applies category-specific knowledge (e.g., CPG, tech) to pressure-test insights for real-world viability and revenue potential.

Practice Leadership & Business Impact

• Inspire, coach, and develop a team of insights professionals into future strategic consultants. Instill a mindset of commercial acumen and creative bravery within the team.
• Champion excellence and innovation by guiding project teams, setting research direction, and ensuring the highest quality of delivery across all engagements.
• Shape the future of the practice and contribute to our market-facing thought leadership and drive the evolution of our consultancy offerings and internal culture.

Commercial & Strategic Acumen

• Demonstrated expertise in applying knowledge across key marketing domains: Brand Strategy, Experience Design, Innovation, and Segmentation to deliver client value.Proven track record of translating this expertise into account growth and successful business development efforts.
• Ability to leverage deep understanding of client-specific context, competitive landscapes, and sector dynamics to inform all strategic recommendations.

Technical & Analytical Expertise

• Proficiency in leveraging advanced tools, including consultative AI analysis and synthesis platforms, and our proprietary canvases, to drive efficiency and uncover deeper meaning.
• Mastery in designing and managing engaging digital qualitative platforms, including online communities and asynchronous activities. Must be passionate about the craft of qualitative research as the foundation for creative strategy.

Understanding Human Behavior

• Deep, applied knowledge of behavioral science principles, social influence, and cultural context to uncover the "why" behind consumer actions and provide richer, more predictive insights. Uses this understanding to fuel creative, commercially-viable solutions that bring the brand strategy to life.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• We are seeking candidates with approximately 10 years of professional experience in relevant roles. We value a strong foundation in understanding human behavior and applying structured thinking to complex problems, typically developed through a degree in a relevant field (such as Social Sciences, Psychology, or Business) or equivalent practical experience. Advanced study or a Master's degree is a plus.
• Strategic Vision: Ability to translate data into forward-looking business strategies.
• Critical Thinking & Problem-Framing: Skill to question assumptions and define the client's core business challenge.
• Strategic Application of Marketing Fundamentals: Demonstrated ability to apply deep knowledge across core marketing to transform research insights into actionable commercial strategies.
• Data Synthesis: Proficiency in integrating complex, multi-source data to find the "so what" and "what's next."
• Executive Storytelling: Talent for crafting compelling, boardroom-ready narratives that inspire action.
• Client Leadership & Trusted Advisory: Proven ability to build deep, strategic relationships with senior clients. Includes the confidence to identify and close upsell opportunities.
• People Leadership & Mentorship: Experience in inspiring, coaching, and developing a team of professionals.
• Commercial Drive: Proven ability to build deep, strategic relationships with senior clients. Includes the confidence to identify and close upsell opportunities.
• Methodological Expertise: Mastery in designing research that tests hypotheses and delivers business insights. Specific emphasis on qualitative excellence and the creative application of findings.
• Behavioral Science Application: Deep knowledge of what drives human behavior to uncover richer insights.

Job Benefits

• You will work alongside great people to define the future of the industry, not just adapt to it.
• You will master the intersection of deep human empathy and cutting-edge technology.
• You will have the autonomy and accountability to identify opportunities, grow client revenue, and see your recommendations directly accelerate client growth.