Director, Marketing Panel Sales

The Company:Founded in 1979, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) is the world’s leading provider of enterprise market information solutions and services, empowering its clients to grow their business profitably in a complex marketplace.  Driving the transformation of the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, only IRI provides a unique combination of real-time market content, advanced analytics, enterprise performance management software, and professional services.  In late 2003, IRI was acquired by the industry-visionary company Symphony Technology Group, run by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani.  IRI is owned by Symphony Technology Group, a strategic investment group with more than $ 1.1 billion in revenues. Dr. Wadhwani, Chairman of both Symphony and IRI, has successfully built three enterprise software companies over the last 30 years; the most recent of these, Aspect Development, Inc. was acquired for $ 9.3 billion.  The acquisition has been the catalyst for a major transformation of IRI.  IRI has crafted a new vision for itself, and for the industry it serves.  With revenues approaching $700 million annually, IRI’s mission is to increase its value proposition to clients by 10X through innovation and focus on enabling insightful decisions. Since the acquisition, the Company has continued to focus on customer satisfaction, streamlining its organization and supporting disciplines, globalizing operations, strengthening its leadership team, and launching multiple new products and services.  The company’s portfolio of services, solutions, and technology enable leading retailers and their suppliers around the globe to see what they are missing, act faster with greater confidence and win at the shelf. Ninety-five percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 in CPG and retail leverage IRI to power their business.  For more information, visit www.infores.com.  IRI Panel:The IRI Consumer Network household panel provides answers to who is buying, what they buy, where they buy, how often then buy and many more questions.  IRI integrates purchase data with pertinent information about consumers to provide decision-makers with a comprehensive view of the buying experience.  IRI builds on this foundation by creating “specialty panelsâ€� to capture the depth of insight required for clients to grow their business in certain high-value, hard-to-research consumer segments, categories and channels.  Innovative research designs coupled with new recruitment and data collection technologies—specifically engineered to attract the right panelists and achieve the necessary compliance—are required for each of these “specialtiesâ€�. Through the use of granular store-level POS and household panel data, IRI is able to construct reports and automated analyses that address specific client business issues. IRI has developed enabling technologies to construct these reports quickly and cost-efficiently. The majority of these reports are web-based to facilitate distribution and usage throughout today’s organizations. The IRI Shopper Insights platform was recently enhanced by expanding the Consumer Network household panel and offering a series of integrated insights, shopper, and specialty panels, which are enabled through a revolutionary new portable, personal collection device.  Enhanced panel services, combined with its POS data, provide clients with a comprehensive view of the consumer and the marketplace.  Reporting Relationship: As a member of the Wal*Mart Client Service team, the Director, Marketing Panel Sales will report to a Vice President.  The Vice President reports to the Senior Vice President in charge of the IRI/Wal*Mart relationship.  The Senior Vice President reports to the President of the global Retail Client Solutions practice.   Responsibilities:The Director is a newly created position to capitalize on IRI’s partnership with Wal*Mart.  The Director will work with the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturer community in Bentonville to identify, sell and deliver IRI panel solutions tailored to Wal*Mart’s consumer segments.  For the most part, the Director will work with established IRI clients.  Key solution areas include Consumer, Shopper and Attitudinal insights and analyses.  While activities will vary, approximately 60% of the Director’s time will be spent consulting with CPG manufacturers using IRI Panel data to “tell a storyâ€� to enhance the manufacturer’s strategy and position within Wal*Mart.  Much of the Director’s remaining time will be spent on analysis/structuring the manufacturer story based on previously-pulled panel data.  This is not designed to be a “data pullingâ€� position. The Director will initially work as an individual contributor but success will require exceptional cross-functional skills to marshal and leverage resources across multiple departments.  Key points of internal interface include: Client Service, Product Management and Sales Leaders.  Externally, the Director can expect to work with Sales, Category Management and Marketing. The Director will help to define and build a highly visible, newly created position on an initiative that serves as a platform for IRI, strategy and innovation.  Accordingly, he/she will have exceptional opportunities to advance and grow within and across IRI functions. Requirements: § Eight or more years of experience incorporating a working knowledge of panel applications.  This experience may come from one or more of the  CPG-oriented environments below:o  A quantitative market research providero  A qualitative market research supplier or survey houseo  CPG manufacturer (preferably in Category Management or MRD) or FDM retailer§ Deep understanding of Category Management as applied to Wal*Mart§ Proven ability to turn numbers into a story/strategy and provide clients with the “so whatâ€�§ Passionate, energetic, self-motivated, entrepreneurial style§ Demonstrable project management and presentation skills§ Proven ability to effectively self-prioritize goals/tasks and maintain focus in fast-changing, ambiguous environments § Must live in, or be willing to relocate to, Bentonville, AR (paid relocation is available)§ Undergraduate degree is required.  Advanced degree is a plus. IRI is an Equal Opportunity Employer