Account Director - MRI-Simmons Agency Vertical

Company Description

R26_0023018

This is a US role, must be in US at time of application to be considered.

This position will be based in Chicago or New York City (preferred) and requires approximately 25% travel, with regular client and in-agency engagement expected.

Job Description

Who We Are

MRI-Simmons, a joint venture majority-owned by NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), is a leading provider of insights on the American consumer. For more than 60 years, MRI-Simmons data has been widely used across the media ecosystem for consumer profiling, media planning, audience research, and insight-driven audience development.

Powered by address-based probabilistic sampling, MRI-Simmons measures real people, chosen at random to represent the U.S. population in all its diversity, providing marketers, agencies, and media companies with a comprehensive view of the American consumer.

What We Do

MRI-Simmons helps clients understand consumer preferences, attitudes, behaviors, and media consumption. We combine survey and passively measured data, data science, and enterprise-grade technology to help marketers, agencies, and media companies develop marketing strategies, build consumer segments, plan media, and activate audiences.

Our Catalyst platform gives marketers faster access to actionable consumer insights, while MRI-Simmons data can also be leveraged across enrichment, activation, advanced advertising, and measurement use cases.

About This Job

We’re looking for a motivated, experienced sales professional to join our Agency team and help accelerate growth across MRI-Simmons.

This is a role for a self-starter who likes to win. The right person is proactive, persistent, highly organized, and has the follow-up skills to keep opportunities moving. You’ll be expected to create opportunities rather than wait for them, develop new client relationships while leveraging existing ones, and stay close to customers from the first conversation through execution and ongoing growth.

As an Account Director, you’ll have a strong focus on growing our consumer insights, activation, enrichment, data enablement, and advanced advertising business, while also prospecting for and expanding MRI-Simmons syndicated data solutions. You’ll identify new opportunities, open doors across agency organizations, and develop relationships with stakeholders across programmatic, digital, video, investment, consumer insights, data, and account teams.

You’ll take a consultative approach to selling, understanding what clients are trying to accomplish and connecting their business, media, and campaign objectives to the right MRI-Simmons capabilities.

Success in this role requires someone who combines strong relationship-building with a hunter mentality. You should be comfortable opening doors, getting in front of clients, following up consistently, asking for the business, and finding new paths into accounts. Just as importantly, you’ll build credibility and relationships that drive repeat business, broader adoption, and long-term partnerships.

You’ll also work closely with Product, Commercial, Marketing, Operations, and Client Service teams to bring client feedback into the organization, support new activation and data initiatives, and help shape our go-to-market approach.

This position will be based in Chicago or New York City and requires approximately 25% travel, with regular client and in-agency engagement expected.

Responsibilities:

Revenue Growth

• Identify, develop, and close new business across audience activation, enrichment, advanced advertising, data enablement, syndicated data, and SaaS solutions.
• Renew and expand business with existing clients by building deep relationships and identifying upsell opportunities.
• Proactively prospect and network to build a strong pipeline of new agency opportunities.
• Own the end-to-end sales process, from initial outreach and discovery through solution development, proposals, negotiation, contracting, and close, with strong and consistent follow-up throughout.
• Develop and execute strategic account and territory plans, including commercial discussions around pricing and deal terms, to achieve and exceed annual revenue goals.

Client Engagement

• Develop and leverage strong relationships across advertising agencies, building connections with key stakeholders across programmatic, digital, video, investment, consumer insights, data, and account teams.
• Use a consultative approach to uncover client needs, identify new opportunities, and expand relationships within key accounts.
• Serve as a trusted advisor by understanding clients’ business and media objectives and connecting those needs to MRI-Simmons consumer intelligence, activation, enrichment, and advanced advertising solutions.
• Lead compelling presentations and proposals, maintain a strong client presence, and drive utilization, expansion, and long-term partnerships.
• Collaborate with sales colleagues across verticals to identify, develop, and pursue cross-team opportunities.
• Translate evolving agency needs into new commercial opportunities.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain accurate pipeline, opportunity, and revenue information in CRM and other internal tracking systems.
• Demonstrate strong organizational skills and consistent follow-up across prospects, active opportunities, and existing clients.
• Partner with Operations, Development, and Client Service teams to define data, technical, and delivery requirements and ensure successful execution.
• Ensure timely sales-order execution and support contractual, reporting, and revenue collection requirements as needed.
• Maintain ownership and accountability throughout the client lifecycle, including after a deal is signed.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in media, advertising, consumer insights, research, technology, SaaS sales, or relevant agency roles.
• Consultative, self-directed seller with a “hunter” mindset, strong client instincts, and a demonstrated desire to win and create new opportunities.
• Demonstrated success prospecting, developing, and closing new business within advertising and media agencies.
• Experience selling syndicated data, SaaS, ad tech, activation, enrichment, or other data-driven solutions.
• Strong understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem, including programmatic and audience-based advertising.
• Strong agency relationships preferred, with the ability to develop new relationships and expand within client organizations.
• Proven ability to manage a pipeline, follow up consistently, and move complex opportunities from prospecting through close.
• Strong consultative selling, presentation, and communication skills, including the ability to tell compelling stories using consumer, media, and audience data.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or a similar CRM platform, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

US Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare plan (medical, Rx, dental, and vision).
• Flexible spending accounts and a Health Savings Account (including company contributions).
• Life and AD&D insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan including company matching contributions.
• Disability insurance.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Discretionary paid time off program and 11 paid holidays.
• Flexible working environment
• Volunteer time off
• LinkedIn Learning
• Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

Additional Information

This role has a market-competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation of the following range: $117,500 - $180,000. Actual salaries will vary depending on a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location. This role is eligible for a sales-based incentive or performance-based bonus. Other benefits include flexible working environment, comprehensive health insurance, industry-leading parental leave, life insurance, education support and more.  

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Our Benefits

• Flexible working environment
• Volunteer time off
• LinkedIn Learning
• Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/info/niqs-ai-safety-policies/

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

For more information, visit NIQ.com

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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence.  All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion