Project Manager: AI & Innovation

Job Description

Who We Are Escalent is an award-winning data analytics and advisory firm that helps clients understand human and market behaviors to navigate disruption As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, our strategies guide the worlds leading brands We accelerate growth by creating a seamless flow between primary, secondary, syndicated, and internal business data, providing consulting and advisory services from insights through implementation Based on a profound understanding of what drives human beings and markets, we identify actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences, inspire product innovation, and boost business productivity We listen, learn, question, discover, innovate, and deliverfor each other and our clientsto make the world work better for people, Why EscalentOnce you join our team, you will have the opportunity to,, Access experts across industries for maximum learning opportunities including Weekly Knowledge Sharing Sessions, LinkedIn Learning, and more, Gain exposure to a rich variety of research techniques from knowledgeable professionals, Enjoy a remote first/hybrid work environment with a flexible schedule, Obtain insights into the needs and challenges of your clientsto learn how the worlds leading brands use research, Experience peace of mind working for a company with a commitment to conducting research ethically, Build lasting relationships with fun colleagues in a culture that values each person, Role Overview: We are looking for a seasoned professional with expansive Strategy Research and/or Consulting experience, strong exposure to Concept and Product Development, and a Consultative and Impact oriented mindset The ideal candidate will play an instrumental role in servicing Escalents plans to adopt, integrate and productize AI and Innovation tools/capabilities/offerings, thereby allowing research, consulting, and corporate teams as well as our clients benefit from AIs capabilities to foster better, smarter and efficient insights, Typically, Project Managers (PMs) at Escalent: Own accounts/client relationships and independently contribute to business development efforts among current and prospective clients, Possess distinctive domain and/or methodological knowledge and leverage it to serve high-performing internal and external industry leaders, Own and deliver strategic research and consulting engagements, leading creation of analytical plans, guiding the team to conduct appropriate research and analyses, and presenting insights to internal and external stakeholders/clients, Participate in designing and streamlining organizational processes and strategic decisions such as building new capabilities and/or products within the firm, and supporting growth and development of the team as well as new propositions, However, this role is not focused on core research and consulting Instead, it will report to the SVP and Head of AI and Innovation and be a core part of an internal COE thats focused on formulating Escalents AI strategy, approach, and roadmap from the perspective of integrating AI tools/capabilities into research/consulting/corporate function workflows as well as developing marketable AI products/solutions, Roles & Responsibilities: Overall Assume end-to-end ownership of key strategic initiatives, with a leading role in scoping, planning, and executing, Demonstrate a strong capability to link findings and recommendations to desired business impact, Present findings and recommendations, while explaining approach and rationale, to senior/executive leadership as and when needed, Develop strong subject matter expertise and gravitas, especially in AI and Innovation, AI Adoption Research and Consulting Use Cases Identify use cases for AI and Innovation within Research & Consulting workflows, Conceptualize and execute Proofs-of-Concept for each use case, with assigned team + other delivery leaders/teams as applicable, Generate recommendations on specific use cases for adoption and integration, Corporate Function Use Cases Generate ideas for AI and Innovation within Business Development, Marketing, HR, Finance, Legal, etc workflows, Work closely with domain-focused teams to determine the appetite for and applicability of those ideas, Conceptualize Proofs-of-Concept for each use case, and partner with domain-focused teams to help them execute, Generate recommendations on specific use cases for adoption and integration, Tool Due Diligence Identify relevant AI/innovation tools for any use case, via desk research and internal outreach, Liaise with various tool vendors to understand functional possibilities, evaluate use case fitment, and assess commercial viability, Partner with Compliance and IT teams to vet and whitelist specific tools for test/trials, Conceptualize a trial program and secure licenses for testing, Partner with domain/functional/corporate teams to test various tools to assess their effectiveness and value-add, Prepare recommendations on the appropriate tool mix, including the build vs buy debate, Documentation Prepare, maintain, and improve documents on AI-related processes, guidelines, and protocols, Author self-learn collateral on the approved tool mix, such as tool one-pagers, tool usage decision flowcharts, SharePoint pages and content, etc AI Integration Liaise with research/consulting/corporate teams to understand their existing workflows, tool/platform mix, and pain points/limitations, Partner with tech/dev teams to evaluate the feasibility of natively integrating whitelisted AI/innovative tools into existing research/consulting/corporate workflows/tools/platforms, Conceptualize and document integrated workflows to serve as input for tech/dev teams to undertake the integration effort, Review tech/dev team outputs/outcomes to ensure they work as envisaged and offer feedback/suggestions for edits/improvements, AI Productization Identify marketable research/consulting-focused product ideas in AI by: Working closely with sales/delivery leaders to unearth (unmet/partially met) client needs, and Conducting broad yet in-depth competitive landscaping, Ensure timely and high-quality execution and outcomes, by: Building analytical plans and securing upfront buy-in from relevant stakeholders, Leading a team to conduct research and analysis as per standard industry protocols using multiple methodologies, Thought Leadership and Marketing Work with enterprise marketing and other internal team(s) to prepare AI/innovation product dossiers, thought leadership POVs, consultative whitepapers, etc Support revenue growth by providing product/domain/subject matter expertise on AI/innovation for sales conversations, client RFPs/proposals/AI-related questionnaires, project designs, and client discussions/readouts, Exhibit a strong passion for AI and innovation, and stay updated on the latest developments, trends, product/model launches, etc and their plausible impact on Escalents AI strategy/approach/roadmap, In-house SME Contribute to Escalents AI Training & Certification Program by developing collateral and administering sessions, Address use case/tool/general queries related to AI/innovation from teams/colleagues across the enterprise and offer process/tool/strategic advice and a suggested way forward, Required Skills: Education: MBA / Post Graduation from a reputed management institute, Experience: 8-10 years in delivering Strategic Research & Insights engagements across industries, focused on international markets, Solid experience leading project-based engagements and delivering findings to senior/executive client and internal stakeholders, Strong exposure to driving revenue growth through Account Farming and Business Development support, as well as developing productized offerings, Strong exposure to internal process innovation/automation, Methodological / Tool Expertise: Must Have: strong exposure to Qualitative and Quantitative Primary Research, Desk Research, Social Media Listening/Analytics and Process Analytics/Innovation, Good-to-Have: theoretical knowledge and working wisdom of AI and innovative tools Excellent communication skills Team leader with strong interpersonal skills Logical and creative thinker with astute analytical aptitude Consultative approach to problem solving Strong attention to detail Explore our Careers and Culture page to learn more about the people behind the brand: https://escalent co/careers-and-culture/ Show more Show less