Market Research Consultant

Location: Onsite in Memphis

Estimated Duration: 12 months contract with possible extension

Work authorization: Candidate must be authorized to work in the US

About the Role

The Marketing Insights Center of Excellence (MICOE) strategically guides and empowers enterprise stakeholders to build donor intimacy and centricity to drive business growth, brand affinity, and relevance. As an integral part of the MICOE, this individual supports Marketing Insights by leading and managing the overall research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting of results and insights for a portfolio of strategic primary research studies through all relevant phases, aligned with the organization's Vision and Plan.

Responsibilities

• Uses critical thinking, collaboration, and project management to autonomously oversee the strategic development and execution of multiple research initiatives that inform brand, marketing, communication, and fundraising strategies.
• Applies experience and understanding of sophisticated, customized research methodologies (such as discrete choice, longitudinal tracking, and segmentation techniques) and applied research project management skills, including research design (qualitative and quantitative), questionnaire and discussion guide construction, presentation and report development, post-research socialization, and project archiving.
• Leads highly visible projects among Executive and Senior Leadership, as well as the Board, communicating key insights to the Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, SVP, and Director, and proactively making strategic recommendations to Marketing and Development leadership based on insights.
• Develops, implements, and manages brand health initiatives, segmentation research, creative and message testing.
• Works with autonomy and agility on enterprise-wide primary research projects that guide growth strategists and Development teams in the conception and design of marketing campaigns.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and understanding of survey design, sampling methodology, panel recruitment, and weighting techniques.
• Serves as an in-house research expert, collaborating and negotiating with key individuals across departments to develop and execute cohesive research approaches that meet the needs of all teams.
• Exhibits an entrepreneurial spirit to "think outside the box," "connect the dots," and integrate research insights across multiple sources to develop richer, holistic recommendations.
• Takes an enterprise viewpoint of research value streams and recommends future research needs in a roadmap view.
• Organizes large amounts of information, understands the story data tells, and manages multiple projects with great attention to detail and minimal supervision.
• Applies a clear understanding of a range of research methodologies, including concept, copy and message testing; segmentation research, brand equity analytics, conjoint, choice-based conjoint, max diff, chip allocation, ethnography, neuro research, online discussion boards, web usability, and both motivational and emotion-based research testing.
• Uses SPSS or other statistical software; familiarity with AI/machine learning to explore and validate primary research efforts is a plus.
• Collaborates cross-functionally to develop integrated research approaches that maximize research opportunities and deliver against strategic plans.
• Stays abreast of sociocultural trends and macroeconomic impacts to inform long-term industry, research, and business strategies.
• Leads and manages oversight of best practices for research methodology, fieldwork, and analysis for Marketing Research.
• Actively participates in the Enterprise Research Council (ERC) and contributes research leadership and expertise to the council’s goals.
• Demonstrates advanced storytelling and presentation skills, translating business data and complex ideas into clear, meaningful visual stories using charts, tables, infographics, etc.
• Presents data in an engaging storytelling format tailored to audience needs.
• Creates PowerPoint decks and works in SPSS (or other statistical software) and Excel.
• Develops, manages, and maintains strong internal client relationships and long-term external vendor and agency partnerships.
• Assists in the creation and reconciliation of the marketing research budget, including management of specific research and development line items, submission of vendor invoices, and reconciliation of overall project costs.
• Mentors and coaches teammates, both officially and unofficially, and may lead significant projects or have direct reports for career mapping and succession planning.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Market Research, Statistics, Marketing, Data Science, or related field, or equivalent work experience of at least 12 years in an insights function.
• Deep understanding of market research methodologies and techniques.
• Strong communication skills to socialize findings to Executive and Senior Leadership Teams and other internal stakeholders.
• Experience leading strategic research initiatives using leading-edge, complex, and highly sophisticated data mining and statistical analysis techniques.
• Ability to build data-driven recommendations guiding high-visibility marketing and fundraising efforts, such as audience-led strategies, brand initiatives, program development, and marketing communication decisions.