Client Partner - Food & Beverage, QSR & Auto

The role

The Client Partner manages and expands a portfolio of 10–20 enterprise accounts in the Food & Beverage, QSR, and Auto verticals. This role involves driving renewals, upsells, and cross-sells while acting as a strategic advisor to senior leaders.

What you will do

• Own and grow a portfolio of 10–20 enterprise accounts in Food & Beverage, QSR, and Auto.
• Drive renewals and expansion to grow partnership scope, scale, and value.
• Uncover and pursue new opportunities within existing and prospective accounts.
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior Consumer & Shopper Insights, Innovation, and Brand leaders.
• Develop and execute account plans to identify whitespace and prioritize client goals.
• Lead commercial negotiations for renewals, upsells, and cross-sells.
• Collaborate with Customer Success, Research, and Product teams.
• Represent Knit at industry conferences, client summits, and events.
• Maintain high standards for pipeline integrity and forecasting accuracy.

Required qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise account management, client partnerships, or strategic sales in the research and insights industry
• Direct experience selling into and growing accounts at food & beverage manufacturers, QSR/restaurant brands, and/or automotive OEMs
• Experience autonomously owning and leading customer relationships and entering new buying centers within existing Enterprise accounts
• Experience supporting clients at Fortune 500 companies with Insights titles at VP, director-level and above
• Experience selling $100K+ contracts to clients at Fortune 500 companies and managing $1M+ Enterprise relationships
• Proven success managing Fortune 500 clients with multi-business-unit complexity
• Consistent track record of hitting or exceeding growth, renewal, or NRR targets
• Experience leading commercial negotiations for six- and seven-figure contracts
• Consultative, discovery-led approach with exceptional listening and problem-solving skills
• Highly organized, with disciplined pipeline and account management
• Strong collaboration skills for leading cross-functional teams
• A builder’s mindset comfortable navigating ambiguity

Nice to have

• Experience navigating franchise systems or multi-brand food portfolios
• Familiarity with automotive product planning cycles, dealer/OEM dynamics, or EV and mobility research
• Background in SaaS, AI, or technology-enabled services
• Experience managing global or multi-market client portfolios
• History of success in high-growth or startup environments

Benefits

• Competitive Salary + Commission
• Equity Options
• Healthcare (Medical, Dental, and Vision)
• Additional Coverage
• Company Laptop
• One-time Onboarding Technology Stipend
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Flexible Time-Off
• Hybrid Working

About the company

Knit is an AI-native research agency that helps iconic brands make decisions through deep customer understanding. The team uses AI-native tooling paired with researchers to deliver insights to brands like Amazon, Mars, and Nestle.