Senior Account Director, Public Service Recruitment Research (Chicago, IL)

WHO WE ARE: At Fors Marsh, we take on issues that matter. We are a team of researchers, advisors, and communicators working together to shape the systems that shape our lives. We look at human behavior from all angles to design targeted solutions that influence decision-making and move people to action. We are committed to the problem, not just the project, and we are intentional about taking on work and forming partnerships that balance purpose, people, planet, and profit. We are a certified B Corporation, a Just employer, and a 2019-2024 Top Workplace. We hold ourselves accountable to the values that have always defined us. And those values drive us to be the best possible versions of ourselves-for each other, our communities, our clients, and the world.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Fors Marsh is seeking an experienced market research professional to provide leadership on our audience understanding, marketing and brand insights, and advertising performance work for the U.S. Army’s recruitment advertising program. Fors Marsh supports this program as part of a team including multiple advertising, marketing and public relations agency partners. We execute audience segmentation, brand perception research, advertising and brand tracking research, message and concept testing, and other applied research tasks required to lead one of the largest employment branding efforts in the world. The primary client is in Chicago, and while our team is spread around the country, this position will be in Chicago and will require working onsite regularly to interact with Fors Marsh team members, agency partners, and U.S. Army advertising, marketing, and research executive leaders.

The selected individual will work in a senior account leadership role, with the primary responsibility of building and maintaining strong relationships with the Fors Marsh research team and senior leadership at Fors Marsh, the lead advertising agency, other marketing and public relations agency partners, and U.S. Army marketing leadership. The individual will develop a broad understanding of the research portfolio and how it supports each Army recruiting mission. The individual will lead gathering client requirements and work with the lead agency and client representatives to shape proposed research products and timelines to meet their needs. The selected individual also will ensure Fors Marsh research products deliver maximum value to agency partners and Army decisionmakers.

Responsibilities include:

• Organizational Representation – Represent team/Fors Marsh across wide variety of meetings and working groups. Proactively represent the Fors Marsh viewpoint and share important news and updates from the research workstream – and conversely, share news and updates from the meetings with Fors Marsh leadership and workstream leads as appropriate.
• Influence - Build relationships with advertising/other agency partners and with U.S. Army advertising, marketing, and research leaders. Position Fors Marsh to address long-term needs.
• Program Leadership / Customer Service - Guide long-term research approach and strategic direction in collaboration with Fors Marsh research leaders and agency partners to exceed client expectations.
• Research Translation - Effectively translate research to meet agency and client needs. Proactively implement project/program changes to best address mission and client.
• Complex Problem Solving – Engage with research team , senior leadership, and advertising agency/client teams to identify courses of actions under evolving requirements and tight timelines.
• Growth - Identify opportunities for significant organic growth with timespan of 3+ years, develop requirements, and negotiate workshare.
• Thought Leadership - Contribute to organizational thought leadership; remain current with applicable social science and advertising literature and facilitate information sharing among internal research team and external partners.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in marketing, communication, social science, psychology, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of professional research experience in applied settings.
• Extensive experience scoping qualitative and quantitative market research projects including large public opinion surveys.
• Extensive experience managing client relationships.
• Experience in marketing, advertising, communication, or social science.
• Experience working with advertising agencies, PR agencies, or branding firms.
• Comfort with fast-paced and evolving settings, balancing multiple priorities, delivering under quick turnarounds, and reconciling multiple viewpoints.
• Strong verbal and written communications skills.
• Experience briefing high-level stakeholders.
• Experience influencing decision makers at the agency and client levels.
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• High degree of team orientation. Experience leading project teams in the execution of research.
• Experience with business development, including identifying opportunities and preparing proposals.
• Experience bidding on or managing government contracts preferred, but not required.
• Military-related and youth-related experience preferred, but not required.
• Ability to work on-site in Chicago, IL as needed is required.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen and consent to a full background check due to our federal contract requirements.

We Offer:

• Our benefits typically meet or exceed our competitors’ packages. Ways we are unique?
• Ability to make an impact on people’s lives, both internal and external to the organization.
• Top-tier health, dental, vision, and long and short-term disability coverage all covered at 100% for employee coverage.
• Our company culture, which values balance and allows each employee to take leave as they require it to balance the responsibilities of both their work and home lives without worrying about depleting their available leave hours.
• We provide a floating holiday bank so you can celebrate the days you value.
• Generous matching retirement contributions and no vesting period starting the third month of employment.
• Dedicated training and development budgets to expand your expertise and grow your skillset.
• You can volunteer your way with paid time off.
• You can participate in Fors Marsh staff-led affinity groups.
• Our employees receive product and service discounts through the certified B Corp network.

Salary: $190,000 - $225,000

FM Career Map: Principal Researcher II

Location: Chicago, IL.

EOE: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.