Insights Manager – Foresights

Principal Accountabilities

• Manage the identification, design and deployment of research/insights projects within the insights programmes, ensuring stakeholder alignment and deploying appropriate methodologies in line with operating procedures.
• Manage research & insights brief creation covering all mix elements, advising on business question/action standard definition & recommending appropriate marketing research design to ensure investment is 'fit for purpose'.
• Lead the project interface between internal stakeholders (usually brand marketing and/or R&D), research agency and the end-market(s) to ensure adequate project control and provide transparency and guidance to relevant stakeholders to complete projects OTIF.
• Proactively generate actionable consumer insights and drive communication of these insights to key stakeholders
• Act as a thinking partner to support and challenge product development thinking: deliver commercially sound, consumer centric thinking based on actionable insight to enable brand & platform development leading to competitive advantage and growth.
• Proactively demonstrate excellence in analytical thinking and information synthesis, including knowledge and use of data platforms, with the aim to provide an evidenced-based point of view.
• Drive methodological experimentation where appropriate to meet evolving business and insights needs to deliver consumer insight
• Share research methodologies best practice and study outcomes across Global Strategy & Foresights and local SP&I to contribute to the continuous evolution of the function.
• Tirelessly advocate for the consumer & their product / sensorial needs within marketing and the R&D teams

Additional Information

Context/ Environment

New Category products such as e-cigarettes, tobacco heating products and modern oral are a major component of BAT's development of a range of products that provide much of the enjoyment of smoking without burning tobacco. Through NC, BAT is leading the transformation of the tobacco industry in one of the most dynamic periods of change that the industry has ever encountered.

• BAT has recently heavily invested into its R&D function across the world to accelerate the breadth and deep of its innovation pipeline. The role of the newly created product foresights function is to:

• Empower growth
  through shaping the innovation strategy based on robust consumer, market & business insight/foresight

• Steer the delivery of the operational plan
  to effectively meet or exceed the evolving marketing environment & business needs

• Identify and define new opportunities
  through expertly combining consumer trends, user-behaviour and understanding of the target consumer

• This requires a deep understanding of consumers' moments of need coupled with the ability to turn insight into commercial opportunities, where an insight is defined as a penetrating glimpse below the surface of consumer behavior, one that can be applied to unlock category growth.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The Consumer Insights Manager is an experienced consumer research & insights professional with broad category understanding and expertise in consumer understanding and behavior. He/She clearly understands and exploits the necessary interrelationships between functions required to be successful in the role.

Embrace key BAT values especially relevant for I&F, i.e. they need to demonstrate these tangibly and live by these values:

• Love our Consumers
• Do the right thing
• Passion to Win

This role requires an individual with the following attributes and behaviors:

Skills & Experience Profile

• Educated to degree level in an appropriate subject (Post Graduate Degree in Business Management would be preferable)
• Strong marketing or market research experience in BAT or a blue-chip consumer goods company or a global market research agency or consultancy - ideally with managerial experience.
• Proven experience working with technical R&D functions translating consumer opportunities into sharp technical briefs
• Deeply curious about understanding Consumer behaviour & attitudes and how it relates to Innovation product development
• Commercial & International marketing acumen (including digital), proven experience in innovation / up-stream strategy.
• Broad understanding of the influence of macro and micro economic, business, environmental and consumer trends (tobacco and ex-category) and their relationships.
• Possesses an expert knowledge of marketing and marketing research techniques, their application and limitations.
• Highly proficient in analytics. Familiar with generic statistical tools and their application.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering multi-country marketing research & insights projects that have influenced business or shaped strategy beyond merely market research project management.

Desired Behaviours & Attitudes

• Proactive mindset, self-driven and motivated.
• Comfortable in matrix organisations, works collaboratively and not fazed by ambiguity.
• Structured & organised way of thinking.
• Very strong interpersonal & communication skills, ability to modulate tone and message depending on agenda, stakeholder (seniority) and desired outcome.
• Problem-solver mindset, constructive.
• Committed to time scales & attentive to detail.
• Honest, reliable and with high degree of personal integrity.
• Treats confidential information with sensitivity & discretion.
• Develops strong and effective people networks (across all levels of the organisation).

Key Success Factors

• Builds a reputation as a credible & knowledgeable 'consumer champion' who can support business needs without being pedantic or over-technical.
• Harnesses global insight findings (within category) & ex-category trends to build the emerging picture of the evolving consumer & competitor landscape.
• Commits to the rigorous delivery of key projects that meet the business goals.
• Is at ease with working collaboratively in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and cross-functional environment; interacting effortlessly with different stakeholders to ensure timely and effective project outcomes.
• Demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of BAT governance, operating procedures and methodologies.
• Is curious, creative, courageous and can identify and communicate breakthrough consumer insights.

Working relationship

Internal / External

Internal

• Global Insights & Foresights teams (Combustibles, New Categories)
• New Categories Marketing (Category & Brand Directors, Brand Managers).
• R&D Managers (e.g. Product Development, Sensory, etc.)
• Key market Insights Managers

External

• External research agencies up to Research Director