Senior Director, Market Research

Northwestern Mutual (NM) has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for over 165+ years. Through a distinctive, whole-picture planning approach including both insurance and investments, we empower people to be financially confident. We combine the expertise of our financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and leading-edge technology to best serve our clients. To help guide the collaborative effort, we are in search of a Senior Director, Market Research to join our team. 

Leads enterprise-wide market research as part of our insights team and is responsible for advancement of the market research across a range of critical audiences. Collaborates closely with Strategy Development, Client Experience, Field Experience, Marketing, Human Resources, and many other areas of the Company. Establishes a clear vision and strategy for market research and insights to create long-term value for the company. Provides thought leadership to senior management having company-wide impact and driving performance and advancing the success of the enterprise. Leads an enterprise-wide Voice of Field (VOF) program and provides significant support to voice of client and voice of consumer programs. Influences cross-functional initiatives and work efforts based on research and insights. Generates insights to shape Company-wide decision making. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Form strong partnerships with key areas of the Company to ensure market research is deployed to facilitate data driven decision making. 

• Builds significant internal and external relationships that lead to collaboration and ability drive market research that informs/influences company strategy and direction. 

• Lead the advancement and ongoing improvement of an enterprise wide VOF capability to provide insights and facilitate creation of solutions to field problems. 

• Maintain strong partnership with voice of client and voice of consumer teams to provide research and insight support. 

• Ensures broad understanding and visibility of insights derived from market research, including driving consistent approach for storing and managing of research assets. 

• Delivers inclusive and engaging leadership to coach, develop and mentor direct reports. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, marketing research, economics or related field. 

• Minimum of 8-10 years of increasingly responsible market research experience and providing insights that drive business, including research methods and statistics. 

• Previous experience in establishing voice of customer or voice of field programs and using data and analytics to strategically drive successful research required. 

• Ability to set and implement strategic direction in the market research space in a matrixed environment. 

• Strategic thinker and results focused. 

• Ability to draw actionable insights and get consensus from all levels of leadership in strategic and operational functions. 

• Strong short and long-term planning skills, coupled with ability to lead resources in response to business needs. 

• Broad knowledge of current and emerging industry trends. 

• Experience in building, leading and running a high performing team. 

• Possess very strong business acumen to fully understand business issues to tackle and provide meaningful, impactful recommendations. 

• Strong emphasis on the need to provide continuous learning and customer focus. 

• Superb communication and analytical skills. 

Benefits: 

• Tuition reimbursement, commuter plans, and paid time off 

• Highly competitive compensation that include base salary plus bonus 

• Medical/Dental/Vision plans, 401(k), pension program 

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