Head of Research & Insights

About the role

As Head of Insights & Research, you will build a modern, enterprise-wide insights capability that helps Valley make smarter, sharper decisions. You will bring together customer understanding, market intelligence, competitive insight, and UX research into one clear point of view—fueling value proposition development, product experience, and go-to-market strategy. More than a reporting function, this is a strategic leadership role where you will frame the right questions, uncover what matters most, and translate complexity into action for the business.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Valley. As we head toward our Centennial, you will help define the next 100 years of a bank that is deeply invested in the community and committed to building meaningful relationships with clients in a way no other bank does. This is an opportunity to leave a lasting footprint—building a foundational capability that gives Valley greater confidence, clarity, and competitive edge for the future.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer, market, and competitive insights into strategic recommendations that drive measurable business impact.
• Lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative research (e.g., segmentation, value proposition, brand tracking, journey mapping, voice of customer).
• Establish and own a centralized insights function as the single source of truth and trusted voice of the customer.
• Synthesize diverse data sources (research, behavioral, competitive, and market intelligence) into clear, actionable narratives.
• Identify unmet customer needs, key motivations, and competitive whitespace to inform strategy and innovation.
• Embed insights into product development, marketing, and customer experience to drive differentiation and growth.
• Manage and optimize external research partners, agencies, and data providers to deliver high-quality insights.
• Leverage AI, advanced analytics, and emerging tools to accelerate insight generation and create competitive advantage.
• Deliver compelling executive-level storytelling and build high-performing teams focused on strategic impact and innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, data science, psychology or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years in consumer insights, market research & insights or customer strategy in financial services or a multi-product environment.

Skills

• Proven track record of translating customer and market insights into strategic recommendations that drive measurable business impact.
• Deep expertise across qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including segmentation, value proposition, brand tracking, journey mapping, and voice-of-customer.
• Ability to manage research vendors, agencies, and third-party data providers.
• Skilled in selecting, briefing, and optimizing partners to deliver high-quality, actionable insights.
• Familiarity with leading research platforms, syndicated data sources, and emerging insight tools.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and lead a centralized insights function as the trusted, authoritative voice of the customer.
• Ability to synthesize disparate data sources (research, behavioral, competitive, market) into clear, cohesive narratives.
• Strong capability in uncovering unmet needs, customer motivations, and competitive whitespace.
• Track record of embedding insights into product, marketing, and experience design.
• AI & Future-Forward Mindset and experience leveraging AI and advanced analytics tools to accelerate insight generation, synthesis, and activation.
• Highly curious, hands-on adopter of emerging technologies and new research methodologies.
• Proven ability to experiment with and scale innovative tools to create competitive advantage in customer understanding.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to distill complexity into clear, compelling recommendations.
• Exceptional storytelling and executive communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Comfortable influencing senior stakeholders without formal authority.

Preferred Experience

• Advanced degree in business, psychology, data science.
• Experience building or scaling an insights function.