Managing Director Agency

Eager to lead the charge in a cutting-edge Data & AI Agency? Step into the role of Managing Director at Crunch Analytics, where you'll command agency activities, mold strategic visions, and foster operational excellence. This role is your arena to demonstrate entrepreneurial acumen, guiding our team to new heights, and expanding our position in the data and AI landscape!

At Crunch Analytics, we currently focus on helping teams at European Retail & Consumer Goods organizations, such as G-Star, Torfs, Van de Velde, Unilin, Roompot, and others, to embrace big data & AI techniques. We introduce data & AI-driven tooling that fundamentally changes how these organizations create value.

In the role of Managing Director Agency at Crunch Analytics, you will have the unique opportunity to lead our agency activities - which entail more than half of our business, next to our product business - and guide the team towards ambitious growth targets. This exciting journey includes setting & reshaping strategic visions and plans, ensuring operational excellence, and cultivating a solid customer base. Your expertise will also be pivotal in attracting and nurturing the right talent and managing critical financial, legal, and administrative aspects.

You will partner up with the Crunch Analytics CEO to grow a 20+ team with 2 million euros in revenue to a robust 70-person squad, achieving around 7 million euros within the next five years.

We’ll match your broad set of skills, conviction, and motivation with a team eager to demonstrate the value of our data & algorithmic excellence. Yet, your leadership and entrepreneurial drive will be crucial to fuel our growth and fundamentally define our path as a trail-blazing yet experienced & trusted party in the data and AI domain.

🚀 What will be part of your responsibilities?

You will bear responsibilities in the following domains:

• Vision. Developing and communicating a dynamic strategic vision for the agency, tailored to current industry trends and client needs.
• Team Leadership. Leading a team of talented data scientists, data engineers, and other professionals, inspiring them to deliver service levels that clients love.
• Managing Quality & Innovation. Overseeing the development and implementation of state-of-the-art data and AI solutions, ensuring top-tier standards of quality and innovation.
• Managing Stakeholders. Building and maintaining robust relationships with key clients, industry partners, and stakeholders.
• Managing Business Development. Driving business development initiatives, focusing on client acquisition, retention, and expanding our range of services.
• Managing Talent. Attracting, maintaining, and developing a pool of talented individuals.
• Managing Finance. Guiding the agency toward financial success through effective budgeting, resource allocation, and revenue growth strategies.
• Safeguarding Culture. Cultivating & safeguarding a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation within the team.

🐱‍🚀 What skills are required or can be perfected on the job?

• You have an MS/BS in Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, or other relevant field / equal by experience
• Entrepreneurial mindset. You embody an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to setting and rapidly adapting priorities that meet evolving business needs. Your focus is sharp, enabling you to navigate through complex scenarios and capitalize on opportunities. A willingness to embrace and lead change is paramount.
• Experience as a leader. You understand what it takes to be a leader within a data analytics, AI, or technology-driven agency. You have a proven track record in guiding and assisting in the structuring of the project-delivery process within an IT agency environment. You understand how a project-driven organization works and what is needed to achieve profitability in such a structure. You are able to instill trust and stimulate project ownership in a demanding and constantly changing environment. 
• Affinity with data-centric projects: Any candidate should have a basic understanding of what data-centric projects are all about. While we do not expect you to be a data scientist, data engineer or alike, we ask any candidate to demonstrate their affinity with such data-centric projects.
• Experience with reporting: Your experience has taught you how to report on the team’s progress. You know what metrics to track and what topics to address. You can identify the root causes of problems and implement mitigation strategies to solve said problems.
• Experience with business consulting: You quickly understand business dynamics present within a given industry. You are able to define the key questions to be answered in order to dissect or tackle an organizational challenge. You are able to structure information in a way the message is clear and easy for business managers to digest.
• Great communication/people skills: You understand the importance of building an excellent relationship between internal teams and clients in an agency environment. You are, therefore, a proactive communicator who is not afraid to have difficult conversations when required. You can transfer a message both concisely or at length and are able to read the room to understand when the first or the latter is appropriate.
• Tooling: Knowing your way around operational tooling is a definite plus. This includes Asana, Harvest, and Notion.
• You are fluent in Dutch and English ;
• You are willing to travel, mainly in BE, NL, & DE

🎁 Our offer

First off, you will become part of a steadily growing team of people keen on applying the latest technologies and techniques in the fields of data science, machine learning & AI. You will work in a vibrant, innovation-loving environment in both Ghent and Rotterdam

We provide you with the opportunity to guide the company toward future success at the forefront of an emerging market, making a true impact. What lies ahead is a role with a diverse range of duties in which you can put your entrepreneurial mindset to work.

The compensation package for this position is commensurate with the responsibilities it entails, with both short-term and long-term incentives. Options for both salaried and self-employed status are available, offering flexibility to suit your professional preferences.

🎳 Up for the challenge?

Here is how we move forward. After applying, we’ll screen your resume and may invite you for a phone interview. A job-specific challenge and presentation later, you could be the next member to represent our team!

Apply now!