Director, Strategic Initiatives, Client Sales & Insights

Circana is a leading provider of technology, AI, and data solutions for consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and retailers. Our predictive analytics and Liquid Data® platform help clients measure market share, uncover consumer behavior, and drive growth—powered by six decades of expertise and an expansive, high-quality data set. We foster an environment that values continuous learning, feedback, and celebrating victories, while accommodating work and personal lives. As a global company, we embrace inclusivity and the unique experiences each individual brings, creating a stronger, more innovative workplace.

Our Critical Sales Skills

• Effectively Presents Solutions: Delivers tailored, compelling solutions that align with customer needs and drive action.
• Knows the Buying Influences: Identifies key decision-makers and understands their motivations and influence.
• Manages Buyer Indifference: Recognizes and explores customer hesitation to uncover new needs or opportunities.
• Understands Customer Needs: Operates as a recognized expert to articulate customer needs in their business language and context.
• Being Resilient: Bounces back from setbacks with composure and positivity; helps others stay productive during tough times.
• Manages Ambiguity: Stays focused and calm in uncertain situations; guides others through change.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, planning, execution, and tracking of key sales growth initiatives, ensuring clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and revenue attainment.
• Define client segmentation, targeting, and prioritization frameworks that enable client teams to focus resources on the highest-value growth opportunities.
• Build Strategic Relationships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across client organizations, including decision-makers and influencers.
• Develop and implement sales programs that drive pipeline creation, solution adoption, cross-sell opportunities, and revenue growth across the department.
• Establish performance metrics, monitor pipeline and revenue results, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend actions to improve business outcomes.
• Partner with client-facing teams, product leaders, finance, and executive stakeholders to align priorities, remove barriers, and accelerate sales execution.
• Leverage deep knowledge of Circana solutions, client needs, and the sales cycle to identify growth opportunities and guide go-to-market strategies.
• Simplify complex business challenges into scalable processes, actionable plans, and clear communications that drive consistent execution across teams.
• Proactively identify improvement opportunities, lead change initiatives, and influence organizational performance through strategic problem-solving, innovation, and cross-functional leadership.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in sales strategy, commercial operations, business development, consulting, client leadership, or strategic initiatives.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide growth initiatives with measurable impact on revenue, pipeline generation, or market expansion.
• Demonstrated success partnering with executive leaders to develop and execute strategic business plans.
• Experience within syndicated data, analytics, consumer insights, SaaS, retail, CPG, or related industries preferred.

Strategic Leadership

• Proven ability to translate organizational growth objectives into actionable sales strategies and execution plans.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen with the ability to identify market opportunities, growth levers, and competitive advantages.
• Experience designing client segmentation, account prioritization, and go-to-market frameworks.

Revenue & Commercial Excellence

• Deep understanding of sales processes, pipeline management, forecasting, and revenue acceleration strategies.
• Experience analyzing performance metrics and using insights to optimize sales effectiveness and business outcomes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Experience leading complex initiatives across multiple business functions without direct authority.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate recommendations and business cases to senior leadership.

Program & Change Management

• Advanced project and program management capabilities with experience leading multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously.
• Skilled at creating structures in ambiguous environments and driving disciplined execution against organizational priorities.
• Proven ability to establish KPIs, governance processes, and performance measurement frameworks.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, SharePoint.
• Experience with CRM platforms (Dynamics, Salesforce, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with sales enablement, reporting, and project management tools (Monday.com, Power BI, Tableau, Unify+, etc.).
• Experience leveraging data and AI-enabled tools to improve commercial decision-making preferred.

Circana Behaviors

• Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions.
• Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action.
• Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices.
• Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers.
• Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement.
• Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect, and integrity.
• Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone.

Location

This position can be located remotely in the USA.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $95,000.00 to $102,000.00 USD. This job is also eligible for bonus pay.

Benefits

• Comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) for eligible employees.