Head of Research and Content at Smollan

Job Summary

• To manage Research business unit to translate information into powerful and impactful stories in the form of a relevant core report library, effective training materials and influential consulting toolkit
• Enhance thought-leadership positioning and entrench FMCG connectivity through building of strategic partnerships

Key Performance Areas

Research Business Unit Strategy, Growth & Commercial Management

• Management contribution as part of the Ti Leadership Team (TiLT) with a responsibility for the growth and profitability of the business unit
• Represent Ti at Exec level engagements with internal and external stakeholders, as required
• Clearly communicate Ti strategy to the Research team; setting goals, providing direction and guidance to direct reports
• Drive innovation and develop opportunities to grow Ti Research product and service offering
• Provide solutions to company, and business unit barriers, to drive profitability and growth
• Manage and deliver business unit revenue targets, key metrics, operational costs, budgets and reporting

Thought Leadership Insights & Best Practice

• Provide insights and recommendations on all research projects to ensure alignment and achievement of company objectives
• Drive the delivery of credible research that influences and shapes conversations in the industry and positions Ti ahead of the curve as a provider thought-leadership content in innovative mediums and formats
• Monitor local and global market trends to guide the process of transforming data into insights that defines best practice
• Unlocking out of the ordinary sources of information using non-traditional ways open to opportunities to provide unexpected content
• Own and manage the packaging of all Research and Thought Leadership content to be uploaded on the Ti Portal

Continual product and service improvements

• Provide strategic direction and value-added content to all research and training projects through the process of mining, presenting and workshopping tangible results
• Drive continuous improvement in all Ti Research and School of Retail products in terms of content and design
• Facilitate the translation of research content into effective, relevant School of Retail training and consulting materials
• Design and implement best in class research methodologies and tools
• Evaluating, select and manage research suppliers and sources of knowledge for maximum return on investment

Operational management of the production, quality and efficiencies

• Directly overseeing Ti Research Team and striving for operational excellence, through
  • On time delivery within budget and applying cost management
  • Exceptional quality and active drive and identification of opportunities for further improvement
  • Efficiency, with a keen eye on optimisation of processes and applicable automation
  • Instilling a culture of innovation and non-traditional ways of thinking
• Implementing, managing and monitoring research projects (project management)
• Create and implement guidelines, ways of working and tools that ensure highest quality
• Identify and implement workflow/structure efficiencies fostering automation and global best practice

Industry Key Contact and Client Relationship Management

Build and maintain a network of contacts which will benefit research quality and deliver the Research & School of Retail sales targets

• Build, manage and activate the Ti Research Connect Calendar to enable strong relationships with relevant and cross-functional key stakeholders:
  • Take ownership of top-to-top stakeholder relationships
  • Drive Research Team stakeholder relationship building
  • Manage the execution of the Ti annual Retailer contact calendar
• Lead the needs based portfolio development by providing practical application of information gained in industry interactions to deliver on client requirements and to inform Research report content and School of Retail training material
• Respond to client requests for information regarding report content and scope and manage the delivery of bespoke client reports within project budget
• Support the Ti sales team to identify new clients and develop opportunities for continued growth of existing clients

People and culture management

• Develop and promote an innovation and performance (quality)-oriented culture within the research team
• Overall responsibility for the talent management of the Ti Research team
• Ensure efficient workload management and monitoring including optimised staff utilisation
• Evaluating team performance, identifying areas for improvement and implementing relevant learning and development interventions
• Develop skills in the research team across methodologies, industries and specialisms

Requirements

• 8+ years experience working in the SA food and grocery industry
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal with the ability to write in a clear, concise and relevant reader-friendly style
• Strong business acumen and critical thinking skills
• Expert level skills in Excel, PowerPoint & Word