Purpose of Position:

Lead the Voice of the Customer activities for the company across all brands. Implement best practice custom research efforts to provide accurate and timely insight into consumer needs, expectations, and preferences in order to maximize new customer acquisition, retention, and customer lifetime profit. This 'Voice of the Customer' advocate works with various team members including: Strategy, Marketing, Merchandising, Channel Management, Web, Quality Assurance, and Sales teams. Designs and executes marketing research plans, conducts consumer studies to understand customer segments, packaging, product, positioning, new products, advertising, etc. Provides consulting services to marketing departments on research and business issues. Maintains a high level of service to internal customers.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage Customer Insights strategy including identifying the greatest information needs of the business and determining the most cost effective best-in-class solutions to meet those needs.
• Provide insight through primary and secondary research from both a strategic and tactical viewpoint. Develop research methodologies, write proposals, design survey questionnaires, draft recruiting criteria, develop discussion guides, analyze survey findings, create PowerPoint Presentations and present findings and recommendations.
• Incorporate voice of the customer into the strategic initiatives and plan development as appropriate. Identify points of intersection and help navigate ways to further incorporate the consumer perspective
• Impartially consult with all business units to identify research needs and information requirements (includes both quantitative and qualitative research).
• Oversee pipeline, prioritization and execution of research requests
• Evaluate, develop and maintain overall appropriate research methodologies and protocols for custom research. Continuously bring innovative new approaches as needed.
• Cost effectively manage productive working relationships with external consumer research vendors. Lead vendor selection process.
• Provide analytic guidance for consumer centric business teams with the goal of optimizing the lifetime profit of customers across multiple contact points and executing best in class multi-channel marketing programs.
• Advocate the use of Consumer Insights throughout the organization, with the objectives of optimizing customer satisfaction and maximizing both net promoter score and lifetime profit per customer.
• Maintain productive working relationships with all functions, particularly marketing / Merchandising, Creative / Website Production, IT, Planning & Logistics, Quality Assurance, Channel Management, GFBU, and Finance.
• Propose and manage market research budget
• And any other duties which may be assigned from time to time

Key Management Skills:

• Analytical Skills
• Drive for Results
• Command Skills
• Customer Focus
• Communication Skills
• Energy / capacity to work in a fast paced environment
• Self-driven, with collaborative style
• Organizational agility (ability to shepherd projects through matrixed organization)
• Problem-solving skills are a must
• Attention to detail, with strong organization skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent listening skills and ability to have positive interactions with co-workers. Should be comfortable interacting with diverse groups. Must be an advocate for the consumer insights.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 5+ years experience managing custom market research and customer satisfaction programs
• Master's degree in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, or Business Administration preferred
• Strategy consulting experience with a company such as McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Monitor or top tier market research company is a definite plus
• Strong strategy skills -- the ability to identify the primary needs of the customer and the drivers of consumer behavior, to conduct market sizing, to evaluate the competition, to forecast competitive behaviors and potential market opportunities, and to develop compelling value propositions
• Strong capability and interest in working in the market research discipline, with strong analytical skills, a passion for researching and solving problems, and ability to derive accurate conclusions from significant data
• Proven track record in developing and executing both primary and secondary research, with a working knowledge of best practices in research methodologies
• Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills are required, including ability to develop compelling PowerPoint presentations.
• Computer efficient