Director Consumer Insights (Iconic QSR Brand)

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Director of Consumer Insights, you will serve as the voice of the consumer, turning behaviors, motivations, and trends into strategic intelligence that drives product innovation, marketing, brand planning, and digital experience. This role sits at the intersection of data and creativity — empowering leadership to make smarter, consumer-backed decisions that generate growth.

Reporting to the CMO, you’ll collaborate cross-functionally across Marketing, Brand Strategy, Product, and Innovation teams, guiding initiatives from early testing through national launch. You’ll also lead a team and agency network while advancing the insights discipline through emerging technologies and analytical best practices.

This is a high-impact opportunity to drive growth and innovation from the inside out. You’ll shape how a beloved brand listens, learns, and evolves — ensuring every initiative starts and ends with the consumer. This is more than a research role. It’s a seat at the leadership table, influencing everything from product pipeline to creative strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead development of an integrated consumer insights strategy aligned with brand vision and annual marketing goals.
• Translate complex research and behavioral data into actionable insights that inform brand, menu, innovation, communications, and channel strategy.
• Guide testing and launch of marketing initiatives — ensuring programs remain grounded in real consumer behavior across all channels (retail, digital, experiential, etc.).
• Partner with Product and Innovation teams to shape a pipeline that reflects customer desires, market whitespace, and emerging trends.
• Own all brand health tracking, advertising effectiveness studies, MMM, and campaign measurement to ensure continuous learning and optimization.
• Leverage syndicated and custom research tools to uncover emerging behaviors, shifts in consumer values, and cultural inflection points.
• Serve as a key voice in executive meetings — bringing the consumer POV to life in powerful, succinct, and compelling ways.
• Optimize and grow external agency and vendor partnerships, ensuring best-in-class methodologies and maximum ROI.
• Drive integration of AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics into research practices to unlock deeper predictive insights.
• Manage the annual insights budget, aligning spend with strategic priorities.

YOU’LL PARTNER CLOSELY WITH:

Brand Marketing, Innovation, Product Development, Digital Marketing, Finance, Operations, and key external agencies and vendors.

WHAT YOU BRING:

• 10 years of experience in consumer insights, market research, or brand strategy, ideally within beauty, beverage, lifestyle, retail, or CPG.
• 5 years of leadership experience managing teams and agencies.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Market Research, Psychology, or Social Sciences; Master’s preferred.
• Strong background in custom research, brand health tracking, segmentation, positioning, and creative testing.
• Fluency in translating quantitative and qualitative data into business-relevant insights.
• Experience influencing cross-functional leaders and senior stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Deep familiarity with tools like Nielsen, Numerator, Ipsos, Mintel, Kantar, Qualtrics, etc.
• Curiosity, agility, and a bias for action — balanced by a deep respect for rigor, accuracy, and strategic impact.

PERKS & IMPACT:

• Help evolve a legacy brand with bold innovation and consumer-led strategy.
• Partner with best-in-class leaders in marketing, product, and digital experience.
• Gain exposure to executive decision-making and high-visibility initiatives.
• Shape the insights discipline using cutting-edge tools and data science.
• Enjoy a people-first, inclusive, and fun culture where your ideas matter.