Senior Research Director

About Morning Consult:

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with rigorous analysis to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act.

This position will be based in one of our office locations (Washington, DC; New York, NY; Chicago, IL).

Our award-winning and modern, open concept offices are located in Washington, DC, Chicago, IL and New York, NY. All three offices are accessible by public transportation and in close proximity to great restaurants and shopping.

Join us in the office for catered lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays or grab a beverage from the fridge for an impromptu after-work happy hour!

About the Role:

Morning Consult is looking to hire an experienced and strategic leader to join our Research Solutions team as a Senior Research Director. Those in this role will be responsible for guiding high-impact research initiatives, managing a team of professionals and fostering key client relationships to drive growth and success. The Senior Research Director will work closely with leadership to develop and execute account strategies, ensure delivery excellence and lead efforts to expand and optimize key accounts.

In this role, you can balance high-level strategy with day-to-day execution, while continuously pushing for innovation in both research design and client solutions. You will be a key contributor to ensure client satisfaction, optimizing delivery processes and playing an integral part in shaping strategic initiatives across multiple client portfolios.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in overseeing large-scale, complex research projects, particularly in global brand tracking, communication and custom ad-hoc market research methodologies. This individual should be adept at building trusted client relationships and optimizing team performance.

The Research Solutions Team at Morning Consult:

The Research Solutions Team at Morning Consult is focused on custom-designed research and is crucial to Morning Consult’s industry-leading, customer-obsessed Commercial Organization and its ability to drive sustainable growth across our entire portfolio of business. Morning Consult’s mission is to deliver high-impact, quality intelligence at scale to decision-makers anytime, anywhere. Our team consists of business leaders and researchers with experience in market research, insights, political polling, strategic consulting and more.

• Key Account Strategy: Ensure the health and growth of key accounts by contributing to and activating account plans, identifying usage and upsell opportunities with a focus on repeatable and higher revenue engagements aligned with the Research Solutions team’s broader growth priorities and pushing to deliver revenue ahead of pace on existing contracts. Prioritize accounts based on projected ROI. Work hand-in-hand with AEs to pitch, price and deliver proposals to clients.
• Talent Management: Manage direct reports and junior talent to ensure MC delivers quality data and strategic insights to inform critical business decisions. Effectively manage execution to ensure delivery is properly aligned with contracted scope of work. Coach and mentor direct and non-direct reports and provide important inputs into Continuous Performance Management and talent decisions. Delegate effectively and empower others to execute tasks with accountability.
• Client Engagement: Build strong relationships with clients and executive stakeholders as a research expert with a highly specialized skill set related to methodologies and/or industry knowledge to drive growth at the account-level and secure renewals. Serve as a spokesperson for the organization with clients.
• Delivery Excellence and Optimization: Adopt and optimize delivery processes and best practices when allocating work and resources. Develop resolutions to critical client and Morning Consult issues to keep engagements on track.
• Financial Management: Provide accurate sales/revenue forecasts for key accounts.

• 10+ years of professional experience in quantitative market research
• Proven track record of successfully managing clients, driving account-level revenue growth and delivering quality and impactful project deliverables
• Deep expertise in survey research and the ability to provide strategic consultation to clients
• Significant experience managing account teams; strong prioritization and delegation skills based on the scale of impact and ability to focus on key business objectives through moments of change; ability to mentor, coach and develop top talent; promote a positive work experience
• An effective planner who can focus their team on achieving long-term objectives and translating strategic priorities and decisions in a clear and relatable way for the team
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence decision-makers without authority through compelling arguments, presentation skills and domain expertise
• Uncompromising attention to detail with high technical standards
• Creative problem solver with an ability to simplify complex scenarios and challenges
• Feedback-oriented and recognizes and proactively raises inefficiencies and barriers to success
• Willing to take feedback, learn and grow; an ethos of continuous self-improvement

Note: We view the above section as a guide, not a checklist. Research shows that underrepresented/marginalized groups are less likely to apply for a job if they feel that they don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. We welcome diverse and non-traditional backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t satisfy every single bullet on this list! It’s expected that you’ll learn and grow throughout your time at Morning Consult, so if you’re open to building new skills, we’d love to hear from you.

The expected salary range for this position is $107,500 - $174,900, with a midpoint of $141,200.

In most cases, we target the midpoint of our salary ranges for new hire compensation. This placement is reflective of full proficiency in a role. This role is eligible for additional variable compensation and an equity grant, which will be discussed in your initial recruiter conversation. Please see an overview of Morning Consult’s benefits on our Career Page.

We are committed to a work environment that is inclusive to all and free of discrimination. It is our policy to be an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, citizenship status or any other factors prohibited by law. Morning Consult will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals.

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