Market Research Director

Based on the outlined responsibilities, the role of a Marketing Research Director encompasses a broad range of tasks and skills. Here's a breakdown of the key responsibilities:

1. Operating and recommending research solutions: The Director is responsible for identifying appropriate research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, for various research projects, depending on their complexity. This involves understanding the client's needs and challenges and proposing suitable research approaches to address them effectively.
2. Training and mentoring junior analysts: This aspect involves nurturing the skills and knowledge of junior team members in areas such as research platforms, design, analysis, and storytelling. The Director plays a crucial role in shaping the capabilities of the team and ensuring they can deliver high-quality research outcomes.
3. Developing proposals: The Director prepares comprehensive proposals for potential research projects, outlining the research design, methodology, timeline, and associated costs. These proposals are tailored to address specific business challenges or objectives provided by clients.
4. Client relationship management: Building and maintaining strong client relationships is essential. The Director adopts a consultative approach, providing personalized client service to understand their needs deeply and deliver solutions that meet or exceed expectations.
5. Project management: The Director oversees the execution of research projects, from kickoff meetings to final delivery. This involves coordinating internal resources, ensuring smooth project flow, and meeting client objectives within the specified timeframe.
6. Report development: For complex research projects, the Director is responsible for crafting detailed written reports that present actionable and strategic insights derived from the research findings. These reports must communicate findings clearly and concisely, often utilizing visual aids to enhance understanding.
7. Presenting insights: The Director presents research insights to senior-level executives within client organizations. This requires the ability to articulate findings effectively, linking them back to the client's core business challenges and objectives, and providing recommendations for strategic action.

In summary, the Marketing Research Director is accountable for driving the research process from inception to delivery, ensuring the quality and relevance of insights generated, and fostering strong client relationships through exceptional service and value delivery.

Requirements

Based on the provided qualifications, the ideal candidate for the Marketing Research Director position should possess the following skills, experience, and attributes:

1. Collaborative and enthusiastic: Demonstrates a positive attitude and is eager to work collaboratively within a team environment.
2. Ability to handle multiple priorities: Capable of managing various tasks and client engagements simultaneously in a fast-paced setting.
3. Analytics expertise: Highly skilled in analytics, with a strong functional skill set in this area.
4. Research methodology expertise: Extensive experience and knowledge across a breadth of research methodologies, including survey design.
5. Insight generation: Able to distill complex research findings into meaningful insights that inform strategic decision-making.
6. Extensive experience: Possesses over 12 years of hands-on experience on the supplier side, specifically in scoping research projects, writing proposals, and conducting custom marketing research using various methods.
7. Leadership skills: Ability to effectively lead project insight teams and mentor junior associates.
8. Communication skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills, including prescriptive and consultative writing abilities for reports and client communications.
9. Reporting expertise: Highly skilled in all aspects of reporting, ensuring deliverables are comprehensive and insightful.
10. Presentation and storytelling: Strong presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate research findings and insights to senior-level executives using compelling storytelling techniques.
11. Research design and proposal creation: Proficient in designing research studies and creating detailed proposals that address client objectives.
12. Professionalism: Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism and situational awareness in all interactions.
13. Experience in various research techniques: Experienced in various research techniques such as new product launch, concept testing, package design, product testing, brand health tracking, path to purchase, and brand optimization.
14. Hands-on research experience: Capable of conducting both quantitative and qualitative custom primary research.
15. Engagement in market research programs: Fully engaged in market research programs with a track record of leading and training junior associates.