Retail Business Development Director in London

Let’s be unstoppable together! 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 behaviour, and drive growth—powered by six decades of expertise and an expansive, high-quality data set.

At Circana, we are fueled by our passion for continuous learning and growth, we seek and share feedback freely, and we celebrate victories both big and small in an environment that is flexible and accommodating to our work and personal lives. We’re a global company dedicated to fostering inclusivity and belonging. We value and celebrate the unique experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that each individual brings. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and beyond, we create a stronger, more innovative environment for our employees, clients, and communities. With us, you can always bring your full self to work. Join our inclusive, committed team to be a challenger, own outcomes, and stay curious together. Circana is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Circana.

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 the customer's business language and business 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.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Problem-solving capability, paired with superb organizational and interpersonal engagement skills, to deliver an all-round excellent experience to Retail pursuits. They must be a resilient self-starter who excels as an individual contributor and combines strong energy with a sharp commercial focus, operating with a hunter mentality to identify, pursue, and secure high-value opportunities.

Job Responsibilities

• Own Strategic Retail Growth Agenda: Define and lead a multi-year business development strategy across key retail clients and priority prospects, identifying high-value growth opportunities and shaping Circana’s position as a strategic partner.
• Lead Complex, Enterprise Sales Engagements: Orchestrate large, multi-faceted commercial opportunities across data, analytics, and technology—engaging multiple stakeholders, aligning internal capabilities, and structuring high-value, long-term agreements.
• Act as a Trusted Strategic Advisor: Partner with senior client stakeholders (C-suite and executive level) to proactively shape their data, insights, and commercial strategies—challenging thinking and identifying transformational opportunities.
• Drive End-to-End Deal Strategy and Structuring: Own the full commercial lifecycle for complex opportunities, including solution shaping, commercial modelling, value articulation, negotiation strategy, and deal closure with a focus on long-term value creation.
• Build and Orchestrate Executive-Level Relationships: Develop deep, multi-threaded relationships across client organizations, ensuring access to key decision-makers, sponsors, and influencers to accelerate growth and mitigate risk.
• Influence Market Positioning and Innovation: Translate client needs and market trends into clear inputs for product, analytics, and commercial innovation—actively contributing to the evolution of Circana’s retail solutions and go-to-market strategy.
• Lead Strategic Account Planning and Pipeline Governance: Maintain ownership of a high-quality, forward-looking pipeline, leveraging structured account planning, disciplined forecasting, and opportunity prioritization to maximize revenue impact.
• Champion Cross-Functional Delivery Excellence: Mobilize internal teams across Client Insights, Product, Analytics, and Technology to design and deliver integrated, high-impact solutions—ensuring alignment between sales strategy and execution.
• Elevate Circana Thought Leadership in Retail: Act as a visible market leader by contributing to industry conversations, leveraging insights to position Circana as a strategic partner across the South African retail landscape.
• Deliver Against Ambitious Commercial Targets: Accountable for achieving and exceeding revenue growth across new business and expansion opportunities, with a focus on sustainable, high-margin growth.

Requirements

• 8-12+ years of proven B2B sales experience within FMCG, retail, insights, analytics, or SaaS, with a track record of consistently exceeding targets.
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior/executive stakeholders.
• Experience shaping commercial strategy and value propositions.
• Demonstrated ability to run a full end-to-end sales cycle, including prospecting, qualifying, solution shaping, proposal development, negotiation, and closing.
• Strong expertise in sales pipeline management, using tools such as MS Dynamics to drive discipline, forecast accurately, and manage opportunity progression.
• Ability to confidently demonstrate Circana technologies (Unify+, Liquid Data) and translate technical features into commercial value for retail clients.
• Skilled in creating compelling proposals and business cases, including ROI calculations and commercial justification for executive approval.
• Strong commercial acumen with an understanding of contracting principles, deal structures, and value-based solution selling.
• Exceptional ability to articulate complex data and technology solutions in a simple, persuasive, and impactful way to senior stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, with the ability to build high-impact sales presentations, proposals, and commercial models.
• Energetic, resilient self-starter who performs strongly as an individual contributor and thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced commercial environment.
• Ability to build strong, trusted relationships across retailer organizations, including decision-makers and influencers.
• Strong consultative selling capability, able to uncover needs, challenge client thinking, and align solutions to strategic business priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity and operate with calm focus during periods of change or evolving client expectations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences and respond to differing viewpoints with professionalism.
• Proactive approach to project and workload management, coordinating multiple pursuits and managing stakeholder expectations with clarity and discipline.