Director, Front End Innovation

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in.To start a career that is out of the ordinary, please apply...Job DetailsJob Title: Director, Front End InnovationLocation: Hybrid - New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, or Norwalk, CTAbout The CompanyKantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. Combining our expertise in human understanding with advanced technologies and strategic consulting, Kantar’s 25,000 people based in more than 100 countries help the world’s leading organisations succeed and grow. Nobody knows people better than Kantar: we provide insight and inspiration to help our clients, our people and society to create and flourish in an extraordinary world.About The TeamWe help clients find new sources of growth through innovation, strategic foresight, brand strategy, and cultural insight. We help brands understand the current and future needs of consumers and guide them in how to meet those needs and make significant connections. Our clients span the Fortune 500 across diverse sectors (think: Mayo Clinic, Ford, Google, Danone, and Merck)We pride ourselves on being an engine of growth for our clients, and innovation is a critical part of how we do it. We are looking for an extraordinarily dedicated, hardworking, and experienced Front-End Innovation specialist to help take our Innovation Consulting practice to the next level, and make their mark on how we talk, think and deliver Innovation at Kantar.About the Role"In this role as Director of Front-End Innovation, you'll drive strategic innovation initiatives, working with a team of diverse specialists. This position within our strategic foresight practice aims to redefine innovation for Kantar's North American clients, seeking individuals passionate about shaping our practice through innovative solutions, business development, and exceptional client service.Directors are key innovators, bridging insights across practices to advise senior clients, address business challenges, and reinvent the market. They also cultivate a culture that supports growth and development.Join an award-winning team known for unique approaches and significant client impact, focusing on front-end innovation and collaborating with Kantar's guides to handle the entire innovation cycle.The Director will be a significant force in driving our business forward:• Generating net-new revenue via new business development, including proactive outreach, scoping client questions, writing proposals and leading client pitch teams, with the shown ability to grow accounts multiple accounts year over year• Serving a senior representative and decision-maker on accounts, using connections across the business to facilitate the growth of new businesses and accounts.• Shaping thought leadership, offers and approaches, and finding compelling ways to codify and share our POV with clients and wider audiences• Overseeing complex projects that demonstrate strategic foresight, trends, cultural insight, commercial inputs and innovation frameworks• Networking and collaborating with cross-functional partners and Innovation authorities across the Kantar business, to shape end-to-end solutions and deliver on client service• Bringing a fresh perspective and deep expertise to help upskill our mixed-level team of Innovation, Foresight, and Culture consultants.What do we look for in a Director?• A big picture problem solver – with a strong ability to provoke and inspire clients to think differently about the future and how to drive growth for their industry, business, category, or brand• A compelling and credible authority in strategic innovation with an ability to articulate engaging points of view on macro trends, brands, innovation, and new business models• A strategic partner to our most senior clients, operates beyond the project’s context and helps clients identify and articulate their real problems, leading the full account relationship and driving client impact and action beyond the scope of a single project• Confident revenue generation ability to drive significant new business and consistently deliver profitable projects• An open-minded and willingness to learn – always on the lookout for innovative ideas and inspiration, new ways of working, frameworks and thinking that can encourage our team• A keen interest in the interplay among people, culture and business as well as social, technological, economic, environmental, human and political change• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; you will need to establish effective relationships internally and with clients, and have a desire to publish wider thought leadershipEssential Capabilities• Industry experience: 8+ years’ demonstrable experience in an innovation consultancy or comparable specialist experience, with evidenced knowledge of strategic front-end innovation methodologies, from opportunity scoping and development to ideation and facilitation.• Project and Client Management: Strong leadership skills and experience efficiently managing project teams, complex workstreams, and commercial responsibilities including the independent management of client accounts and contributing to large global accounts• Trained Facilitation: Experience of moderating / facilitating innovation and strategy workshops• Strategic Thinking: Proven strategic thinker, able to derive clear, creative recommendations for clients that will make a positive difference to their business. Able to demonstrate powerful thinking about future trends, alternative futures, innovation, brands, companies, and wider macro issues• Business Development: Demonstrated success in client and account development, including scoping potential projects, leading proposal development and pitches, and finding opportunities for follow-on projects both in innovation and for colleagues in other fields• Subject Matter Expertise: Authority on specific sector or topic areas e.g., technology, finance, CPG, sustainability, or wellness; having an established social media or industry network a plus• Focus on Delivery and Impact: Excellence leading complex projects independently with limited input, managing and motivating project teams to deliver high quality work on time and on budget, with well-developed recommendations and implications, and a clear focus on client impact• Storytelling: At ease with multi-disciplinary approaches (using a mix of source materials: qual, quant, industry content, macro reports, trends etc.) and pulling out strategic implications and recommendations and finding compelling and visual ways to present an innovation storyNice To Have Capabilities• Strategic Foresight Expertise:  Knowledge of the concepts, language, tools, and techniques of foresight and experience applying these things to strategy and innovation• Semiotics/Cultural Insights Expertise: Experience helping distill where culture is headed and how this shows up visually through emerging design, fashion, branding, and other visual media• Methodological Innovation: Interest and experience integrating innovation with other complementary approaches. This could include integration of innovation with quantitative and analytics tools (e.g., social listening, syndicated or custom survey data), novel socialization and communications approaches (e.g., design fiction, prototyping), events (e.g., training, trend treks), etc.Kantar BenefitsWe provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package, including• Medical plans with comprehensive, affordable coverage for a range of health services• Health Savings Account/FSA• Dental, Vision and benefits to cover unique healthcare needs• Wellness Program• 401k with matching• Tuition Reimbursement, Commuter benefits• Unlimited PTOAt 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 to support a pay for performance culture, where your reward and career progression opportunities are linked to what you deliver. We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in. Apply for a career that’s out of the ordinary and join us. 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 wellbeing 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. At Kantar, the diversity of our employees provides a richer environment for our employees and broader depth and breadth of thinking for our clients. Kantar is committed to inclusion and diversity; therefore, we welcome applications from all sections of society and do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status or any other legally protected characteristics.The salary range for this role in New York is 122,700.00 - 204,500.00 USD Annual. Your final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to location, work experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.Privacy and Legal Statement PRIVACY DISCLOSURE: Please note that by applying to this opportunity you consent to the personal data you provide to us to be processed and retained by The Kantar Group Limited (“Kantar”). Your details will be kept on our Internal ATS (Applicant Tracking System) for as long as is necessary for the purposes of recruitment, which may include your details being shared with the hiring manager.LocationNew York, World Trade CenterUnited States of AmericaKantar Rewards StatementAt 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 go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in. Apply for a career that’s out of the ordinary and join us.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 30,000 people help the world’s leading organisations succeed and grow.