Head of Department – Research & Customer Insights at Safaricom Kenya

We are looking for a HOD - Research & Design within Consumer Business Unit with research experience, preferably in FMCG environment providing consulting / Specialist Support, establishing Strategic direction For Specialist Area, pursuing Innovation and managing the research portfolio.

Detailed Description

Reporting to the Chief Consumer Business Officer, the position holder will;

• lead in the sourcing of customer insights expertise within the Research & Customer Insights team.
•  As a critical player in terms of input to brand/products ensure brand/product decisions are driven by actionable consumer insights in an effort to maximize effectiveness and profitability
• From a range of research and data analysis techniques, identify strategic requirements and lead long-term opportunity development for innovation projects and their fit with overall business strategy for portfolio and Safaricom brand development
• Be the champion of ‘consumer focus’ and ‘customer insights’ within the business
• Lead Marketing Research and Customer insights policy formulation to support decision-making
• Lead, guide and champion the resolution of problematic/special projects

Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

• Identify opportunities for growth
• Embed and drive the understanding of consumer motivation and identification of opportunities that will unlock growth for the business
• Driving consumer-led brand/product building
• Champion and drive world class consumer understanding and insights that will drive growth using a variety of best practice and processes
• Putting the consumers at the heart of everything, actively inspire and influence Research and product teams to ensure they ingrain consumer feedback/insights in the brand/product strategy and marketing activities to maximize effectiveness and profitability
• Push ‘planning insights’ as opposed to ‘data management’
• Global & Kenya liaison for Research and customer insights
• Develop and manage research budget for the department
• Driving learning into action from measurement and evaluation (M&E)
• Understand the value of M&E to the research agenda and to the brand/products’ performance and its fit into the brand/product planning process.
• Champion the search and spin of knowledge, information and ideas that will make M&E a creative process that appeals to brand/product teams
• Drive customer centric culture both with internal and external customers
• Continually challenge the processes and procedures for current supply service levels/ challenging convention
• People and performance Management
• Monitoring departmental staff performance.
• Manage the selection, growth, development and motivation of staff

Qualifications

Must have technical / professional qualifications

• Degree holder in Business Administration
• Minimum of 12 years’ experience in a senior sales, marketing or customer management role, where product quality and market management are paramount considerations
• Leadership skills and experience