Job Description

Brand Research Manager

Hybrid: On-site at a client's office for 3 days a week in Newark, New Jersey

As Brand Research Manager, you will be at the forefront of understanding consumer behavior and market trends, playing a crucial role in delivering actionable insights to our clients. You will manage research projects from inception to completion, ensuring the highest quality and impactful results. Your expertise in survey design, data analysis, and reporting will be essential in translating complex data into compelling narratives that drive strategic decision-making. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the success of top brands by leveraging innovative research techniques and advanced analytical tools.

• Client Communication & Relationship Management: Lead client communication efforts, serving as the primary point of contact for routine communications, such as project-related queries and updates, ensuring seamless information flow and client satisfaction. Proactively address client needs and anticipate potential challenges, fostering strong relationships built on trust and open communication. Effectively manage client expectations and ensure alignment on project objectives, timelines, and deliverables, leading to successful project outcomes. Collaborate with internal teams to deliver exceptional client service and ensure client goals are consistently met or exceeded.
• Project Management: Manage the execution of multiple research projects simultaneously, ensuring quality and timeliness, while adhering to established project management methodologies and best practices. Coordinate project activities, resources, and timelines, proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks and issues to ensure projects stay on track and within budget. Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among project team members, stakeholders, and external vendors, fostering a cohesive and productive working environment. Monitor project progress, track key milestones, and provide regular status updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.
• Instrument Development: Design surveys to meet research objectives and client needs, ensuring alignment with project goals and target audience characteristics. Oversee survey programming for multiple projects, ensuring functionality and data quality, and providing guidance and support to junior team members in survey writing and programming. Develop clear, concise, and unbiased survey questions that effectively capture the desired information, minimizing response bias and maximizing data accuracy. Conduct thorough testing of survey instruments to identify and resolve any technical issues or inconsistencies, ensuring a seamless and error-free data collection process.
• Analysis Planning & Data Processing: Lead analysis planning efforts for projects, including defining analysis objectives and methodologies, and collaborating with team members to develop analysis plans that address client needs, ensuring the analysis plan is being followed meticulously. Determine the appropriate statistical techniques and analytical approaches to extract meaningful insights from the data, addressing key research questions and client objectives. Oversee data cleaning, validation, and preparation processes to ensure data integrity and accuracy, enabling reliable and valid analysis results. Communicate analysis plans clearly and effectively to team members, providing guidance and support to ensure consistent and high-quality analytical work.
• Quality Control: Oversee quality control processes for multiple research projects, ensuring adherence to standards and guidelines, and providing guidance and support to junior team members in implementing quality control processes. Implement rigorous data validation and verification procedures to identify and correct any errors or inconsistencies, ensuring data accuracy and reliability. Conduct thorough reviews of research materials, including survey instruments, data analysis reports, and client presentations, to ensure adherence to quality standards and client expectations. Identify and address any potential sources of bias or error in the research process, implementing corrective actions to maintain the integrity and validity of the findings.
• Reporting: Lead the development of client reports, ensuring they meet quality standards and client expectations, conducting analyses to identify key trends, insights, and recommendations that directly address client objectives. Craft compelling narratives that effectively communicate research findings and their implications, tailoring the content to the specific needs and interests of the audience. Review narratives prepared by junior team members and begin to apply storytelling techniques to make reports more engaging and impactful, enhancing their ability to influence decision-making. May co-present findings to clients, showcasing the value and impact of the research, while addressing any questions or concerns in a clear and confident manner.
• Initiative Collaboration & Thought Leadership: Collaborate with other departments (ex. Operations, Product, Marketing) to support company-wide initiatives, such as product development, research on research, and thought leadership, contributing expertise and insights to drive innovation and strategic growth. Actively participate in cross-functional teams, sharing research findings and insights to inform product development, marketing strategies, and other key business decisions. Contribute to the development of thought leadership content, such as white papers, blog posts, and conference presentations, showcasing the company's expertise and promoting its brand. Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging research methodologies, proactively sharing knowledge and insights with colleagues to enhance the team's overall capabilities.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to junior team members, fostering their professional growth and development within the organization, and ensuring they have the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their roles. Delegate tasks effectively, providing clear instructions, expectations, and feedback to ensure high-quality work and timely completion of project deliverables. Conduct regular performance reviews, providing constructive feedback and identifying opportunities for improvement, while recognizing and celebrating individual and team accomplishments. Create a positive and supportive team environment, promoting collaboration, communication, and mutual respect, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

It’ll be helpful if you have:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Statistics, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in marketing research, with a strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Proven ability to manage complex research projects from inception to completion, delivering high-quality results on time and within budget.
• Proficiency in survey design, data analysis, and statistical modeling using software such as SPSS, SAS, or R.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to extract meaningful insights from data and translate them into actionable recommendations.
• Experience in client relationship management, with the ability to build rapport, understand client needs, and deliver exceptional service.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, mentor, and guide junior team members.
• Experience with AI-powered research tools and techniques is a plus.
• A passion for understanding consumer behavior and market trends, with a desire to contribute to the success of leading brands.

Benefits and Perks:

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k)
• Unlimited PTO
• Health & Wellness Events & Benefits
• Professional & Personal Growth & Learning Opportunities
• And, more

Our Vision:

We are creating the most tech and data-forward research business on the planet, where primary research, AI, and big data work together to solve complex marketing, content, and product development challenges.

Our Values:

Radical Candor

Caring personally while challenging directly – offering feedback that is honest and clear, but always rooted in genuine empathy and respect for the individual.

Client Obsession

Maintaining an unwavering focus on understanding and exceeding client needs and expectations, consistently delivering value, and building lasting partnerships through proactive communication, responsiveness, and a relentless commitment to client success.

Unmatched Expertise

A level of deep, specialized knowledge and skill that exceeds industry standards, allowing delivery of innovative, tailored solutions to complex client challenges driving superior outcomes. Fostering growth for our talent and establishing a reputation for excellence.

Our Vibe:

We are social scientists, data geeks, brand junkies, and movie fanatics. We obsess on audience segments, norms, models and methodologies. This passion transforms client problems into breakthroughs and investments into impact.

At MarketCast, we don't just accept differences - we embrace it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our global culture and success. MarketCast is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. Check us out: www.marketcast.com

Per the pay transparency law, the salary range for this position is $80,000 to $105,000. As a candidate for this position, your salary and related elements of compensation will be contingent upon your work experience, education, skill set, and any other factors MarketCast considers relevant to the hiring decision. In addition to your salary, MarketCast believes in providing a competitive total rewards package for its employees. MarketCast offers employees a holistic and wide array of benefits such as subsidized medical, dental, and vision, free access to HealthJoy, ModernHealth, 401K, “flex” time off, career and personal growth outlets, such as LinkedIn Learning, and two free monthly movie tickets. All benefits are subject to eligibility requirements, and the terms of our official plan may be modified or amended from time to time.

CCPA NOTICE: In accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, please note that we collect some or all the below categories of personal information from you as part of the application process and use it for the purposes indicated. Category of Personal Information: 1. Name, Contact Information (phone, email, address) Purpose: To be able to contact you 2. Information on work history and education Purpose: To be able to assess qualifications for the role 3. Race/ethnicity information (optional) Purpose: To comply with governmental reporting obligations 4. Veteran and military Status (optional) Purpose: to comply with governmental reporting obligation.