KTP Associate

THE POST
It is expected that the successful candidate will be based in London at the offices of the industry partner. They will become part of Agile Retail’s Strategic Growth team and work closely with other members of the company. While in London, contact with the Academic team will be regularly scheduled and will be fully supported by the University.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Currently, an off-the-shelf, commercial model to measure the ‘new’ value of stores does not exist. In developing a proprietary solution to a category-wide problem, the aim is to create significant intellectual and commercial value for the business: opening doors to new customers, justifying more experiential, consumer-centric retail, and encouraging online brands into bricks-and-mortar.

The focus is to provide: an understanding of the role and function of stores in the consumer decision-making process; an evaluation of their commercial contribution through blended metrics (e.g. brand awareness, omnichannel customer value, contribution margin); the applicability of any new evaluative measures, such as ‘return on experience’; and a validated model ready for commercial adoption.

This KTP project will develop a series of metrics and a “Toolbox” that can be used to evaluate the financial viability and future value of a physical retail store.  Far beyond current operational know-how, it will seek to measure and predict the ROI of physical stores, encourage increased investment in bricks-and-mortar, and breath life back into the high street.

ESSENTIAL CRITRERIA
• A Masters (PhD preferred) in business, marketing, analytics, retail or other relevant field
• Involvement in a research project ideally involving multiple collaborators and stakeholders
• Experience in developing research and design frameworks across different market sectors and geographical locations
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills, and experience of conducting empirical fieldwork within a business environment
• Experience in the management of large data sets (eg CACI) and with using graphical data analytics packages such as Tableau, Alteryx or Plotly
• An ability to interpret and analyse data, draft reports, draw conclusions and make recommendations
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate and relate to a variety of professionals at different organisational levels

DESIRABLE CRITERIA
• Experience of working in a commercial organisation, preferably in the retail or property sector
• A commitment to on-going training and skills development
• An ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

To develop a robust commercial model and measurement approach that accurately reflects the holistic contribution of physical retail stores to a brand, offering better intelligence and reliable forecasting to guide investment decisions.