Director – Research & Insights

The Director of Research and Insights will proactively drive thought leadership and strategy with primary goal to establish a Financial Advisor (FA) or Consumer Insights Hub that prioritizes:– Faster distillation of data– Shareable intelligence– Decision-ready insights across all functions

The role will lead the development and execution of strategic research with the objective of delivering actionable insights that directly influence firm decisions and business outcomes. This role has the unique firm responsibility to understand client behaviors, preferences, needs, wants, and wishes through best-in-class primary and secondary research. The insights derived from this role will enable FA, client, and prospect decision-making across the organization, personalized marketing and experience, brand, product development, and FA satisfaction. Reporting to the Head of Martech, Analytics, and Insights, the Director will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful insights that shape business strategies and enhance client experiences.

What you’ll do:

• Connect the dots across disciplines: Integrate behavioral science, advanced analytics, primary and secondary research, and AI-enabled/synthetic data insights for clients and FA/branch segments.

• Rapidly translate insights into action: Directly influence brand strategy, messaging, thought leadership, CX/VoC investments, and search-driven & open-source intelligence.

• Drive organizational intelligence: The mandate is to make the entire organization smarter and more insightful, rather than just managing a research team.Develop and implement a comprehensive research strategy to deliver actionable insights in support of business objectives, and firm, client, and FA outcomes, preferences, and behaviors.

• Accountable for best in industry research of clients, prospects, and FAs to enable strategic firm decision making, and optimal Marketing and Experience execution.

• Be a thought partner for EBM and firm leaders, anticipating needs and leveraging functional expertise to add insights effective decision making. Present insights and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner.

• Partner with other areas of EBM to ensure insights are integrated into campaigns, content development, design, market and business strategies.

• Manage and evolve regular reporting of brand health and equity metrics.

• Work closely with data and analytics teams to combine quantitative and qualitative work, resulting in comprehensive insights that are impactful to the business.

• Create and maintain a repository of insights to support ongoing initiatives and decision-making.

• Lead and mentor a team of researchers and analysts, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.

• Build capabilities within the team to leverage advanced research tools and methodologies.

• Manage research operations, vendors and governance to optimize sample, budget and efficiency of research execution and capabilities.

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, statistics, or a related field. Master’s degree strongly preferred.

• 15+ years of experience in client research, design research, market research, client insights, client segmentation or related roles.

• 5+ years of experience in a leadership position.

• Research Methodologies: Best in industry expertise in designing and executing qualitative and quantitative research studies, reading results and generating insights that are immediately impactful for business growth.

• Data Analytics: Knowledge of data analysis tools and techniques, including statistical modeling and machine learning.

• Client Segmentation: Deep understanding of segmentation methodologies and persona development.

• Market Trends: Awareness of industry trends, competitive dynamics, and client behavior patterns.

• Vendor Management: Manage vendor relationships and identify new vendors to advance the primary and secondary research

• Data Governance: Familiarity with data privacy regulations and best practices for managing client data.