I
have been doing seminars, teaching and consulting
with businesses for more than 15 years. I have worked with more than 100
businesses and have given seminars to more than 5,000 people
representing more than 2,500 companies. This site is the result of many
questions and suggestions I have received from Fortune 500 companies
including IBM, General Motors, Sprint, Cisco, Cerner, Xerox, General
Electric, AT&T and venture capital backed high
technology start-ups. This is the information that businesses need to
make powerful decisions in a changing world............................................Robert J. Sherwood
Sample Job Descriptions
Manager, Competitive Intelligence
(Salary Range$ 90-125,000)
Summary
The CI Manager will coordinate the activities of the CI team and be
responsible for its output. This will involve working closely with senior
management to identify the CI needs of the company; developing and leading
a team of skilled professional analysts; being responsible for the quality
of CI output; presenting intelligence generated by the department to
senior management; managing the efforts of the CI team in conjunction with
other intelligence and data-gathering units of the company to limit
overlap and optimize the information-gathering and analytical capacity of
the company as a whole.
Principal Accountabilities
- Oversee and be responsible for the CI
function of XYZ Corporation. Working with the senior management,
product development, and marketing teams, set objectives for
intelligence gathering, and create a feasible schedule for the
collection and analysis of data.
- Lead the CI group. Supervise the
collection and analysis activities of the group's analysts, assigning
projects and authorizing specific data-gathering exercises. Working
with corporate counsel, develop a compliance plan for the Economic
Espionage Act of 1996 and ensure that all XYZ's intelligence and
information-gathering activities are undertaken using ethical and
legal techniques.
- Assess the resource requirements of the
CI group. Ensure it has the resources necessary to gather and analyze
data. Procure equipment, hire and train staff, and retain consultants
as required, within the group's budget.
- Communicate with other departments to
ensure an effective flow of information to and from the CI group.
While the CI group is primarily responsible for analyzing competitive
information, data should come from the entire company; effective
two-way communication is the responsibility of the CI manager. Ensure
all staff at XYZ Corporation are aware of the CI group and able to
pass along information quickly and easily. While the CI group's output
is primarily designed to aid decision making by senior managers, the
CI group will also provide actionable intelligence to other units when
required.
- Supervise the CI group staff. The group
comprises four professional analysts and one administrative assistant.
Ensure that the staff acquire and maintain appropriate skills and are
able to develop professionally.
- Manage the CI group budget.
- Take responsibility for the CI group's
outgoing analysis and conclusions. Make regular presentations of
findings to senior management and other client groups.
Qualifications Required
- MBA .
- At least eight years of experience in
competitive analysis in the xyz industry. Experience with marketing is
also important.
- Proven leadership skills: experience as
a project leader or supervisor of professional staff. You must be an
excellent motivator, with a high energy level.
- Excellent written and oral communication
skills; experience working with senior managers and making boardroom
presentations.
Competitive Intelligence Analyst
(Salary range $50-80,000)
Summary
XYZ Corporation seeks two analysts with experience of the xyz industry to
perform competitive intelligence gathering and analysis as part of a
six-person CI group. XYZ is a company seeking to become more responsive to
market changes driven by both consumer demands and the competitive
environment. The CI group will work on projects designed to give senior
management information about competitors' plans and activities.
Principal Tasks
- Carry out data collection and analysis
as assigned by the CI manager. Use a variety of tools to obtain
information required to support better strategic decision making.
Comply with ethical standards and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996
in all data collection activities.
- Analyze data collected and draft
reports.
- Assist the CI manager in preparing
presentations and reports for senior management and other units of the
company. Take primary responsibility for some presentations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree.
- At least four years of business
experience in the xyz industry.
- At least two years of competitive
intelligence experience.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Excellent computer skills, including
experience with word processing, Lotus 1-2-3, and Microsoft Access.
Knowledge of the World Wide Web and research experience with on-line
databases is also essential.
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