Head of Custom Research & Consulting

New York City or London

The Company

Our client helps the world’s media, information, and technology providers grow revenue, deliver superior solutions, optimize their clients’ performance, and thrive in a fast-changing global digital market. Our client advances the business of information as a company "that works" — for each other, their clients, their stakeholders, and their community.

The Job

Our client needs an entrepreneur looking to take a young consulting practice and scale it. The selected candidate will lead all aspects of the firm’s Custom Research and Consulting practice. They’ll grow the practice, drive business, develop proposals, and with your team deliver engagements to senior-level executives in, or interested in, information, media, and software.

This opportunity requires a natural leader and a team player who can influence and collaborate with colleagues at all levels. This leader must be effective working with a global team and identify solutions that meet clients’ unique needs. This is a unique role that requires both strategic thinking and tactical execution serving as a hands-on, entrepreneurial leader.

This leader must understand the nature of high-touch, client-centric business and be willing to apply their experience in a way that meets rigorous standards for excellence and delivering wow while representing other facets of the firm’s portfolio in the marketplace.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the Rainmaker for the firm’s consulting business — set, achieve, and exceed sales targets for the consulting practice. Manage and deliver profitable custom research and consulting department P&L performance to the company by proactively driving business development activities, architecting solutions, and cross-selling across all P&Ls where solutions bridge naturally. Grow the business and act as overall product champion for the custom research and consulting practice and deliver projects that meet or exceed profit margins.

• Be a leader of the custom research and consulting team and be a collaborative and accountable team member, excellent can-do leader, and active visible member of the team and company leadership. Oversee and lead the development of an affiliate network.

• Conduct project management, research design, and execution. You’ll lead, direct, and execute on all aspects of custom projects from start to finish. This includes scoping and architecting proposals, designing research plans, managing project teams, collecting data in coordination with our data team, and fully analyzing and synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative findings. Leverage existing and develop new replicable methodologies that Outsell executes against. Be conversant in all major segments of the industry Outsell services and serve as an individual contributor where appropriate on particular projects you design and deliver. Oversee the delivery of actionable decision support to our clients that meets or exceed expectations and provides exceptional quality and service of senior decision-makers.

• Be a thought leader and lead consultant for the delivery of key strategic projects and client relationships. Facilitate on-site meetings with clients for delivery when necessary and travel as needed to ensure ongoing development and delivery of the business.

• Network with industry leaders, be active at industry conferences, and represent our client’s market expertise at leading industry events — maintaining visibility in the market. Travel required, including regular travel to the New York greater area.

• Liaise with domain experts on our Lead Analyst team to leverage deep analytic expertise as needed and share relevant insights. Work alongside field sales to drive business and be proactive in new business lead generation and up-sell/cross-sell opportunities.

What It Takes

The selected candidate will have:

• 10 to 15+ years of experience in the media, information, and technology industry with executive-level line experience overseeing the development and delivery of business strategy and execution.

• Demonstrated experience driving and scaling a custom consulting practice for the information and media space required.

• MBA or equivalent degree required.

• Candidate must have strong information industry, software, technology experience, marketing, and technical knowledge and have the ability to analyze, identify, and forecast market trends, opportunity, and positioning. Must have excellent in-depth understanding and knowledge of the sectors players, issues, and trends. An existing and growing network of industry relationships is a plus.

• Demonstrated critical thinking, proactive problem solving, and analytical skills are required, as is competency in challenging assumptions and developing opinions that are concise and complete in well-founded logic. Demonstrated track record in analyzing problems and developing models, methodologies, frameworks, and solutions at a senior level, both thinking creatively and delivering at a practical level.

• Ability to work independently with minimal guidance and as part of a team. Requires full understanding of functions and tasks and ability to prioritize and adjust priorities as circumstances dictate. Must have project management skills, which also requires the ability to analyze and anticipate interdependence of others and their work in a project as a whole, and to plan and adjust project plans and deployment of resources accordingly. Must be able to work with a variety of personalities and styles and adapt accordingly.

• Must be able to communicate clearly with others and articulate issues and challenges, as well as offer solutions. Must be self-motivated and able to motivate others in a positive, constructive manner. Must be able to accept constructive criticism and apply that criticism to the job, and be willing to accept direction and instruction from others with professionalism and respect.

• Complete assignments with attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy and on time.

• Work with a "get the job done" mindset and understand there might be changes in workload driven by project deadlines that must be met and must be responsive and execute well in a fast-paced, agile environment.

Why Apply

What the company is about:

Our client we believes that information and knowledge are fuel for the human spirit. They foster understanding, discovery, enjoyment, learning, and commerce around the globe. Our client believes in a world where people always have access to the information they need, advancing their lives so they can advance the lives of others.

Our client offers flexible work hours to help their employees maintain a schedule that works for them.