Client Development Analyst

at  Spencer Stuart

The Role
The Client Development Analyst (CDA) will be responsible for support of varied client development and business generation projects for the Financial Services Practice in EMEA and globally. Working closely with consultants, senior associates and associates primarily in the Financial Services Practice as well as other Industry & Functional Practices, the Analyst will develop bespoke capabilities documents (quals), perform in-depth research, prepare original analysis and insights, handle other assignments as directed and ensure content is adequately and regularly stored and distributed to relevant audiences. Over time, it is expected that the Analyst will develop expertise in tracking industry and talent trends, sustainability, CEO succession and diversity topics.
This role will be based in our Amsterdam Corporate Office while interacting with the EMEA region.
Key relationships
Reports to Global Practice Director, Financial Services Practice
Other key relationships
Regional Financial Services Practice Leader (x2)
Client Development Team, Financial Services
Financial Services Practice Consultants, Associates, Senior Associates, Executive Assistants

Key Responsibilities

• Support the creation of business development content and insights for pitches, relationship building and strategic account planning; conduct analyses to develop insight about our clients, our competitors, how our processes produce better outcomes, what the best candidates/ leaders look like and how our placements perform. Synthesize internal and external information to generate previously untapped insights/opportunities, giving Spencer Stuart a competitive edge in the marketplace.
• Liaise with consultants and the client development team to create tailored, client-facing materials, based on a solid understanding of the potential client/client’s industry, including specific information regarding the “value proposition” (strategy, competitive landscape, culture insights, etc.).
• Draft storylines and narratives which underscore the firm’s ability to serve new and prospective clients and to deliver excellence.
• Share learnings from pitches and business development initiatives across the CDT team to ensure we are continuously refining and improving our processes, responsiveness and pitch effectiveness.
• Take active ownership of the team’s content management and content distribution. Help maintain tools and systems to assist in centralizing and organizing business development materials, tailored presentations, analyses and insights, and design processes that seamlessly disseminate key lessons and materials across the Financial Services practice .
• Play key role in driving projects that align with, and help push forward, the Global and Regional FS strategy. Carry out complex analyses to support the Financial Services practice or individual business opportunities as needed.
• Develop and enhance good relationships with key stakeholders and collaborative partners across the firm.

Required Qualifications
Successful candidates will possess strong analytical, research and presentation skills. They will demonstrate strong business acumen, good problem-solving skills and an understanding of the Financial Services Industry.
They will be self-directed, collaborative, comfortable with ambiguity, highly organized, detail-oriented and demonstrate strong project management skills.
In addition, they will demonstrate passion and ability for working with people, communicating clearly, approaching challenges with maturity and a positive attitude, and collaborating within a global team to drive greater business performance.
Work Experience
3-5 years of full-time experience in an international corporate environment, ideally at a professional services or consulting firm. Knowledge of (or a strong interest in) Financial Services will be preferred.
Tools
Proficiency with MS Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word), with ability to create sharp and thoughtfully designed client-ready presentations in PowerPoint. Has experience contributing to major research efforts that include analyses of business and industry trends.
Experience with collecting and organizing information from databases and/or internet resources. Ability to analyze and synthesize data into other formats. Familiar with business reference resources such as Capital IQ, LinkedIn, BoardEx etc.
Education
An undergraduate/Bachelor’s degree.

CRITICAL CAPABILITIES FOR SUCCESS

Project Management

• Plans, manages and drives own efforts in support of new business development as measured by timely completion of project tasks and feedback from project team members. The successful candidate will do this while handling multiple projects with competing deadlines, working with individuals who have differing styles, and managing challenging expectations by:
• Providing accurate, timely and insightful research about organizations, industries, functions and executives.
• Taking a strong sense of ownership over the research process, anticipating next steps and not waiting to be told what to do.
• Regularly reassessing priorities to align efforts where/when needed and proactively reprioritizing own workload to provide support across the team where/when needed.
• Committing to deadlines and communicating progress against them.
• Delivering on commitments on time or notifying as early as possible if problems occur or deadlines will slip.

Analyses and Problem solving

• Synthesizes research for business development and provides a succinct and accurate point of view as measured by quality, timeliness and impact to win/loss ratio. The successful candidate will do this while dealing with short timelines and limited information by:
• Listening and asking insightful questions.
• Leveraging knowledge of an industry/function/sector and appropriate resources to gather relevant information.
• Subjecting researched facts to extensive analysis and interpretation before drawing conclusions.
• Making inferential leaps in thinking to reach a solution despite incomplete or ambiguous information.
• Making decisions rapidly, despite the complexity of the issues or pressures involved.
• Using effective business writing skills to create succinct, client-ready analyses and documenting information in Firm databases.
• Distilling large volumes of complex data and canned reports into focused insights that help pitch teams win more engagements

Professional Approach

• Contributes to the efficiency and quality of teams in order to successfully meet project objectives as measured by Consultant, Associate and peer feedback while working with individuals who have differing styles by:
• Listening and asking questions to clarify understanding and demonstrate knowledge.
• Considering the needs of colleagues and adapting own communication style accordingly.
• Setting expectations and clarifying tasks to avoid wasting time and resources.
• Offering to work outside areas of responsibility when needed.
• Raising issues early and finding solutions collaboratively.
• Being assertive in defense of conducted research and resulting findings.
• Remaining poised when under pressure or handling unexpected challenges.
• Proactively sharing information with those who would benefit while being discreet with confidential information.

Stakeholder Management

Communicates effectively both in writing and verbally; has mature presence and is able to build broad-based relationships. Demonstrates strong networking capabilities. Successful analysts do this by leveraging their:

• Ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues
• Strong communication skills
• Global mindset

• Support the creation of business development content and insights for pitches, relationship building and strategic account planning; conduct analyses to develop insight about our clients, our competitors, how our processes produce better outcomes, what the best candidates/ leaders look like and how our placements perform. Synthesize internal and external information to generate previously untapped insights/opportunities, giving Spencer Stuart a competitive edge in the marketplace.
• Liaise with consultants and the client development team to create tailored, client-facing materials, based on a solid understanding of the potential client/client’s industry, including specific information regarding the “value proposition” (strategy, competitive landscape, culture insights, etc.).
• Draft storylines and narratives which underscore the firm’s ability to serve new and prospective clients and to deliver excellence.
• Share learnings from pitches and business development initiatives across the CDT team to ensure we are continuously refining and improving our processes, responsiveness and pitch effectiveness.
• Take active ownership of the team’s content management and content distribution. Help maintain tools and systems to assist in centralizing and organizing business development materials, tailored presentations, analyses and insights, and design processes that seamlessly disseminate key lessons and materials across the Financial Services practice .
• Play key role in driving projects that align with, and help push forward, the Global and Regional FS strategy. Carry out complex analyses to support the Financial Services practice or individual business opportunities as needed.
• Develop and enhance good relationships with key stakeholders and collaborative partners across the firm