Manager, Client Strategy

Advantage Group International is seeking an ambitious, client-centered Manager, Client Service, Retail to join us in our journey of helping businesses be better together.
Our History and Mission: Thirty years ago, in Toronto, Canada, Founder Ron Pirie championed the belief that businesses work better together when they commit to actively listening and responding to each other’s feedback.
Ron’s original idea to have retailers’ rate and rank their suppliers was first conceptualized in 1988. Not long after, FMCGs and retailers throughout North America began to recognize that strong and measurable relationships are at the heart of improved business performance.
From humble beginnings and a staunch and universal belief that stronger collaboration leads to better business results in any market and any industry, our relationship benchmarking capabilities have become the gold standard for measuring business-to-business engagement in over 40 countries.
Our Values:

• Be Engaged – Be engaged, on the team, and in the game.
• Empathetic Feedback – Give and receive empathetic feedback.
• High Performance – Succeed with a high-performance attitude.
• Find a Better Way – Seek to improve and find a better way.

Role Summary: The Manager of Client Service Retail will develop mutually beneficial relationships with Retailers and our Retail clients. You’ll use Advantage Group’s proven capabilities to help clients understand their business opportunities and act on them, creating a virtuous circle. They will drive 2-way growth via consistent client value delivery and client retention, expansion, and acquisition. Expanding our retail partnerships (New Business Generation) will be a part of this role.
Who We’re Seeking: The successful candidate is likely to have 3 – 5 years of commercial Retail industry experience, combined with client-facing experience in data-led professional services (market research, data-led advisory, etc.) is a plus.
Reporting Relationship: This role reports to the Director of Client Strategy – Retail
Key Competencies: Advantage has identified the following set of competencies that successful client service leaders demonstrate and develop in the role over time:

• Expertise in the US Retail industry: Deep knowledge about how business is done, challenges between trading partners, key trends, and relationship dynamics.
• A Growth Mindset: An orientation to continually growing yourself, relationships, people, teams, and business.
• Prospecting for Growth: The ability to use prospecting principles, processes, and tools to identify and engage potential clients in the market while continually prospecting within existing clients to capitalize on additional business opportunities.
• Analytical and Strategic Thinking, with a Bias for Action: The ability to anticipate future opportunities and trends accurately. Being future oriented and able to create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
• Practical Understanding of Market Research Principles: Ability to quickly grasp our data model, methods, and insight-to-action approach, and an understanding of related data and research.

• Client Leadership: Acting as an advocate for our clients, understanding their needs, and recommending the right solutions, while also implementing successful client leadership programs and practices that drive long-term, sustainable, profitable growth for both Advantage and our clients, while achieving high levels of client engagement.

• Effective Communication: Understanding and applying effective communication concepts, tools, and techniques. The ability to effectively transmit, receive, and interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

• Insightful Presentations: The ability to present innovative, actionable insights using relevant market data and trends. Proficient at using storytelling tools and techniques to engage clients and deliver new information.

• Entrepreneurial Drive: Being driven, ambitious, and motivated to consistently meet / exceed targets. Ability to work independently and an entrepreneurial mindset a positive attitude, zest for learning and always seeking innovations and efficiencies.

• Effective Decision Making in Ambiguous and Difficult Situations: The ability to act effectively on partial or conflicting information, eliminate roadblocks, take unpopular stands when necessary, and face adversity head on.

What Success Looks Like in this Role: Provide effective Client Service leadership. Specific responsibilities include:

• Build strong client relationships and ensure that they receive an excellent client experience and gain value and insights from Advantage
• Ensure clients are actively engaged and put our insights and recommends into action
• Enhance the Advantage brand within the CPG / Retail community through keynote presentations, conference/association participation, white papers, published articles, and other efforts
• Contribute to innovations and piloting new approaches as we further develop our end-to-end Client Engagement experience
• Achieve sales and profit goals by maximizing client retention, expansion, and acquisition

Location: This role is home office based.
Travel: Expectations include occasional travel to:

• Client offices for meetings and presentations, as needed (most are via videoconference)
• Toronto global HQ (occasional)
• Relevant conferences or industry events

Why Should You Work with Us?
Advantage offers an excellent work-life balance, including the following:

• Stable company with an established client base
• Flex culture
• Intelligent and passionate team members
• Unique business positioning, and new opportunities around every corner
• Competitive salary package including health benefits and 401k matching
• Generous leave policy and winter holiday office closure