Research Assistant

Job Purpose

The Research Assistant will support Sales and Business Development efforts through structured research, lead sourcing, and opportunity intelligence. This role will focus primarily on identifying and enriching qualified leads, surfacing design and REALTOR® partnership opportunities, and providing actionable insights that support top-line revenue growth. Secondarily, the role will assist with sales department projects such as competitive analysis, market scans, and sales education content.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated local student interested in business, marketing, sales operations, or analytics to gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced, commercial environment.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Lead Sourcing & Enrichment

• Build and maintain targeted prospect lists across residential, trade, and contract segments
• Validate contact information and enrich records with key attributes (e.g., volume potential, segment, geography, intent signals)
• Maintain strong data hygiene within spreadsheets, CRM, and related tools

Design Partner Identification

• Identify and map local and regional designers, design firms, and REALTORS® aligned with Furnitureland South’s customer base
• Prioritize prospects based on portfolio fit, target audience, and collaboration potential

Opportunity & Market Intelligence

• Monitor competitor activity, category trends, and brand activations
• Compile concise intelligence briefs to inform campaigns, outreach, and consultant enablement

Sales Enablement Support

• Create clear, well-organized research summaries, reports, and presentation slides
• Support consultant education initiatives and leadership updates with timely insights

Why this role matters

This pilot role plays a direct part in fueling Furnitureland South’s growth by strengthening our prospect pipeline, expanding strategic partnerships, and equipping our sales team with actionable intelligence. The Research Assistant will gain exposure to real-world business development, sales strategy, and data-driven decision-making within a nationally recognized brand.

Required Education and Experience

• Currently a local college student in their Sophomore or Junior year of undergraduate studies, preferred
• A student majoring in Business, Statistics, Data Analysis, or related field of study
• Strong research, analytical, and written communication skills
• High level of accuracy and discipline with spreadsheets and data organization
• Comfortable working with AI tools, CRM systems, and basic data enrichment platforms
• Self-directed, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work in a hybrid schedule aligned with business cadence

Measurement of Success

Performance will be evaluated on a weekly and monthly cadence, including:

• Pipeline Inputs: Number of qualified leads added, enrichment completeness, and design/REALTOR® partner prospects identified
• Pipeline Outcomes: Meetings booked, partner conversations advanced, campaigns supported
• Revenue Impact Indicators: Attributable opportunities and booking uplift (tracked via CRM tags, UTM links, and consultant feedback)
• Quality & Speed: Turnaround time from research brief to deliverable and stakeholder satisfaction.