What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director - Research & Insights position at Edward Jones?
This job posting is anticipated to remain open for 30 days, from 28-Oct-2025. The posting may close early due to the volume of applicants.
Join a financial services firm where your contributions are valued. Edward Jones is a Fortune 500¹ company where people come first. With over 9 million clients and 20,000 financial advisors across the U.S. and Canada, we’re proud to be privately-owned, placing the focus on our clients rather than shareholder returns.
Behind everything we do is our purpose: We partner for positive impact to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society. We are an innovative, flexible, and inclusive organization that attracts, develops, and inspires performance excellence and a sense of belonging.
People are at the center of our partnership. Edward Jones associates are seen, heard, respected, and supported. This is what we believe makes us the best place to start or build your career.
View our Purpose, Inclusion and Citizenship Report.
¹Fortune 500, published June 2024, data as of December 2023. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining, the rating.
Behind everything we do is our purpose: We partner for positive impact to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society. We are an innovative, flexible, and inclusive organization that attracts, develops, and inspires performance excellence and a sense of belonging.
People are at the center of our partnership. Edward Jones associates are seen, heard, respected, and supported. This is what we believe makes us the best place to start or build your career.
View our Purpose, Inclusion and Citizenship Report.
¹Fortune 500, published June 2024, data as of December 2023. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining, the rating.
Opportunity Overview:
The Director of Research and Insights 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:
The Director of Research and Insights 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:
- 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.
At Edward Jones, we are building a place where everyone feels like they belong. We're proud of our associates' contributions to the firm and the recognitions we have received.
Check out our U.S. awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones
Check out our Canadian awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones
Check out our U.S. awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones
Check out our Canadian awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones
Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Edward Jones' compensation and benefits package includes medical and prescription drug, dental, vision, voluntary benefits (such as accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness), short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage. Short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage are provided at no cost to associates. Edward Jones offers a 401k retirement plan, and tax-advantaged accounts: health savings account, and flexible spending account. Edward Jones observes ten paid holidays and provides 15 days of vacation for new associates beginning on January 1 of each year, as well as sick time, personal days, and a paid day for volunteerism. Associates may be eligible for bonuses and profit sharing. All associates are eligible for the firm's Employee Assistance Program. For more information on the Benefits available to Edward Jones associates, please visit our benefits page.