Job Description
Who we are
Sagentia Innovation provides independent advisory and leading-edge product development services to a broad range of companies from some of the world’s leading and best-known brands, to start-up disruptors. We operate projects ranging in scale from £10k to £10m and serve customers across the medical, industrial, chemicals and energy, defence, food and beverage, and consumer sectors. We are part of Science Group (AIM:SAG), which has more than ten offices globally, two UK-based dedicated R&D innovation centres and more than 400 employees.
What we do
Recent examples of our advisory consultancy work:
* Foresight: What does the future of oral health look like? What are the key market and consumer trends? What will the consumers of the future want? How are regulatory bodies influencing this space? What would a CPG company need to do to be a leader in this space?
* Strategy: Is our client set up for success to achieve their health & wellness goals? Are their capabilities (e.g. organisational structure, R&D programs, investments and external partnerships) best positioned to allow them to meet their future ambitions?
* Benchmarking: How does our client compare to its peers in its packaging strategy? Which companies are driving innovation in the field, and how are they doing it? How could gaps/weaknesses in our client’s strategy be addressed?
* Appraising alternative technologies: What natural ingredients are there to replace synthetically made ingredients in skincare products? How viable are they technically and commercially? How much scientific substantiation do they have?
Key responsibilities
1. Account management and business development
2. Project delivery
3. Client and team interaction
4. Adherence to Group policies
Account Management and business development
Strategic Accounts and New Business (1 or 2 accounts):
* Take responsibility for maintaining and growing the business relationship with selected Strategic Accounts
Business development for own and other accounts, leading or supporting as appropriate:
* Business development and marketing activities with practice and industry knowledge
* Work with account management to build rapport and promote our capabilities
* Build effective relationships with clients and help to identify their needs
* Account management/support and new business sales:
* Finds and close project sales
* Meet client as senior representative of business and orchestrate sales activities
* Frames proposals and challenges project brief (up-sell)
* Recognise and understand commercial drivers of the client and how these may impact the business, developing long term relationships and repeat business with key clients
* Visit prospects for lead generation and to identify potential client needs
* Present full range of Group services and case studies and ‘intro’ to group companies
* Own and coordinate the writing and delivery of compelling sales material (e.g. discussion documents, proposals, case studies, capability decks)
* Understands division position in the market and can differentiate it from the competition
Project delivery
Managing advisory projects as follows:
* Lead and deliver projects delivering business value to our clients.
* Effectively generate and communicate actionable recommendations and articulate key sustainability messages with clear strategic storytelling.
* Write engaging reports, drawing on expertise from across several internal and external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).
* Manage multiple projects independently across different clients with minimal supervision to meet tight and very often concurring deadlines.
* Efficiently and effectively coordinate and manage project teams allocating tasks, providing guidance and direction and monitoring delivery of the different workstreams.
* Manage project plans, including project set up, monitoring actual vs forecast budget and Earned Value (EV), invoicing and project closure to ensure project profitability and highest level of customer satisfaction.
Client and team interaction
* Recognise and understand the commercial, technical, and strategic factors and drivers affecting our clients and their potential impact on their current and future business.
* Develop long term relationships with clients becoming their trusted advisor.
* Confidently engage with a wide variety of client stakeholders at different levels from practitioner to C-Suite level executives leading and delivering meetings/facilitating workshops
* Clearly and articulately present project work at internal/external meetings
* Build effective working relationships with colleagues across the Sagentia Innovation and its sister companies across the science group.
* Coach and mentor junior members of the team
Experience & qualifications
* Minimum 5-year consulting experience with demonstrable track record selling and delivering innovation strategy applying life science in a business environment
* Strong knowledge of consumer sector in particular the consumer health segment
* Master’s degree in life science related subjects and may also have a PhD with additional business qualifications preferred
* Able to understand client’s objectives to shape solutions
* Ability to explain ideas in a clearly and concisely, creating buy in to ideas and approaches
* Strong verbal and written communication, time management, and planning skills
* Experience of managing projects to tight timescales and budgets
* Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail
* Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment leading multidisciplinary project team
Career development
We are committed to career development and make a focussed effort to offer bespoke training and mentoring to allow each individual to thrive within their environment and realise personal potential.
Benefits
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package.