Business Development Director, Innovation

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Job Details

Business Development Director Innovation

Location: London (hybrid) with travel to client sites/events as needed
Reports to: Head of Business Development Insights UK.
Contract: Permanent full-time
Comp: Includes an annual individual revenue target

Why this role exists

Were accelerating growth by stealing share winning highvalue Innovation briefs from competitors and unlocking whitespace with our flagship solutions. As our Business Development Director for Innovation youll be the tip of the spear: obsessed with client time relentlessly curious and deeply fluent in the Innovation journey. Senior stakeholders will trust your combination of commercial sharpness and Innovation expertise your ability to identify real opportunity shape it credibly and partner with specialist teams to turn interest into winning scalable programmes.

What youll do (the impact)

• Live with clients (figuratively!) - Spend the majority of your time with prospects and strategic accountsdiscovery immersion sessions and valueled conversations that surface genuine Innovation problems whether in early opportunity framing concept development validation or portfolio optimisation.
• Own the top of the funnel - Map target accounts run multithreaded outreach and build a qualified pipeline across priority sectors. Youll spark momentum and challenge incumbent agencies by articulating Kantars Innovation advantage with clarity and depth. New logo and cross-sell growth.
• Shape dont just sell - Translate ambiguous growth questions into crisp problem statements and credible Innovation pathwayslinking business need to the right combination of earlystage exploration quant validation creative development claims pack and launch optimisation.
• Partner to win -
  • With Innovation: cocreate proof points shape methodology thinking strengthen cases with data assets and elevate our point of view using sector insight and Innovation best practice
  • With Opportunity Orchestration (Conversion & Programme Design): turn the narrative blueprint into a persuasive proposal ensuring the story lands with both commercial sharpness and Innovation rigour.
• Bring Innovation advisory to every conversation
  Earn the right to challenge and guide senior sponsorsadvising on risk decisionmaking portfolio implications and internal sellin grounded in a clear understanding of Innovation science and client realities.
• Make it easy to buy
  Create frictionfree buying experiences from early qualification to commercial shape pricing logic and smooth handover into deliverywhile ensuring solution integrity and fit for purpose.
• Build our market presence
  Activate Innovationled thought leadership moments (roundtables POVs demos client immersions) that open doors and signal the depth of our innovation expertise in the market.

What youll bring (your strengths)

• Client obsession & energy: You default to being with clients and anchor conversations in business impact.
• Deep Innovation fluency: You can discuss the Innovation journey endtoendfrom Identify Build Validate Launchand articulate how our solutions derisk and accelerate decisions. And a clear POV on how AI is transforming the Innovation process and risks / opportunities for brands
• Curiosity with commercial edge: You ask smarter questions frame better hypotheses and connect data consumer insight and business strategy.
• Relationship builder: You create senior access fast and sustain trust through substance empathy and followthrough.
• Storyled thinker: You craft simple compelling narratives that integrate Innovation logic with commercial clarity.
• Hunter discipline: You are expert in prospecting multithreading qualification and progressing complex Innovationled enterprise deals.
• Enterprise teamwork: Comfortable codesigning with Innovation specialists and leaning into structured proposal and pitch processes.

Experience that helps

• Around 5 years in consultative new business roles (ideally across Innovation Insights CX analytics or design strategy)

Experience that is essential

• Track record of winning share (new logos / cross-sell / competitor displacement) and landing large programmes.
• Relationship building with clients at an exceptional level.
• Confidence engaging at C/VP level across Marketing Insights Category and Innovation.

How youll work (operating model)

With Innovation: Weekly huddles to prioritise targets refine hypotheses align proof points and ensure were bringing the best of Kantars Innovation thinking.

With Opportunity Orchestration (Conversion and Programme Design): Structured handoffs from discovery narrative blueprint proposal/pitch staying engaged through pitch to signature.

With Marketing/Thought leaders to shape the Innovation go to market strategy.

With wider Business Development team: Share intel cosell crossdomain opportunities drive connected selling into key accounts.

What success looks like (first 12month outcomes)

• New revenue: Target achieved (phased in year 1) from Innovation programmes; majority netnew cross-sell or competitor displacement.
• Pipeline health: 3 coverage balanced by stage and sector.
• Client time: 5060% of working time with clients/prospects.
• Velocity & quality: Shortened cycle times; proposals consistently rated clear compelling Innovationcredible decisionready.
• Internal advocacy: Strong feedback from Innovation Domain and Opportunity Orchestration on collaboration solution quality and deal shaping.

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Kantar Rewards Statement

At 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 competitiveand alsoto 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 thats 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 andwell beingis 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 worlds 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 Kantars 30000 people help the worlds leading organisations succeed and grow.