Client Relations Officer – Remote At Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project

The project

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. The ACLED team conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios, and makes both data and analysis open for free use by the public. ACLED material is regularly used to inform journalism, academic research, and public discourse on conflict, and to support the work of practitioners and policymakers. ACLED is the highest quality and most widely used real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.

The role

ACLED is recruiting a second full-time Client Relations Officer to assist with ACLED’s commercial account sales and management. In late 2020, ACLED launched a new access model with the intention of ensuring the sustainability of our organization through encouraging greater burden-sharing among those who use ACLED data, particularly commercial users.

Within this context, the candidate would be responsible for identifying new potential clients, explaining ACLED’s access model, and providing basic information on ACLED data and methodology. They will also handle client quoting, contracting, and managing relationships once accounts are confirmed.

The candidate must have the right to work in the United States of America, although the work is fully remote. Only those with the legal authorization to work in the US (citizenship, permanent residence, or work permit) can apply, even if they do not plan to be residing in the US. Please submit your salary range for consideration. Applications without this information will not be considered.

The Client Relations Officer will be part of ACLED’s Operations team and will be supervised by the Senior Programs Manager (SPM). The Client Relations Officer will be responsible for the following tasks:

Sales and Marketing

• Identify new potential clients through inbound requests, outreach, and marketing
• Communicate ACLED’s access model to clients via email and over calls
• Answer client questions directly as well as liaise with other ACLED teams to answer questions
• Where relevant, pitch ACLED data to new potential clients, including through virtual presentations
• Provide quotes to new clients and oversee price negotiations
• Follow-up regularly with prospective and existing clients to advance negotiations and conclude sales

Contracting

• Draft and share access agreements with potential clients
• Where relevant, liaise with legal counsel to confirm requested contract amendments
• File and maintain client contracts and documentation

Account Administration

• Lead data entry, management and maintenance of clients’ account and contact information (using Salesforce, Asana, and other tools)
• Execute and manage clients’ access to ACLED data in ACLED’s Access Portal (in line with their contracts)
• Provide regular reports on Access Portal metrics (number of users by category, number of accounts, etc.)

Client Relations/Account Management

• Establish, develop and maintain positive client relationships
• Serve as main point of contact for clients regarding all questions relating to their contract, access, technical issues, ACLED methodology/coverage, etc.
• Manage all client documentation and data

Other

• Where required, liaise with Communications department on relevant communications with clients and developing promotional material
• Provide regular reporting on sales targets
• Conduct market and consumer research, as needed
• Other ad hoc support on administrative and coordination tasks related to client management and sales

Skills and competencies

ACLED is seeking applicants who have the following skills and experience:

• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability and confidence to present clearly and concisely to external audiences (pitch)
• Comfort working in a start-up environment and ease working within evolving systems and processes (dynamic and flexible)
• Experience prospecting new clients, sales, and managing contracting especially for data and software products and services;
• Experience developing quotes based on interactions with clients/market research (with data and software products);
• 1-3 years of experience in sales and/or fundraising and development at a non-profit organization or comparable business (preferably focused on peacebuilding, conflict, human rights, and/or global affairs)
• Ability to work remotely with limited supervision;
• Excellent organization and time management skills;
• Good judgment and extremely high attention to detail;
• Experience with Salesforce (essential);
• Familiarity with lead business communication platforms (Slack, Asana) preferred;
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace suites (essential);
• Fluency in English (essential);
• Fluency in other languages highly desired, particularly French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Mandarin.