Consumer Insights Manager

Johnson Outdoors • Elmwood Park, WI

10h

About The Position

The Consumer Insights Manager builds Johnson Outdoors’ understanding of consumers, markets, categories, and competitors and translates that understanding into actionable recommendations. The role leads qualitative and quantitative research, integrates findings from primary and secondary sources, and partners with Marketing, Product Management, Innovation, and other cross-functional teams to inform strategy, product development, positioning, communications, and business decisions.

The position manages research from defining business questions through vendor management, methodology selection, study design, execution, analysis, reporting, and quality assurance. It supports consumer-centered innovation throughout development, synthesizes research and other data into business recommendations, communicates insights to stakeholders, and contributes to shared research tools and resources.

The role also stays current with research methods, data sources, analytical approaches, and technology. It champions responsible AI and digital technology adoption in alignment with company governance, security, privacy, and ethical standards.

Requirements

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in marketing, market research, business, statistics, data analytics, or equivalent.
• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in consumer insights, market research, analytics, or category insights strategy.
• Strong knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and experience designing, managing, and activating research studies.
• Knowledge of syndicated, secondary, social listening, and internal data sources used to evaluate consumer behavior, categories, markets, and competitors.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and external research suppliers and vendors, including scoping, proposal evaluation, budgets, timelines, deliverables, and quality assurance.
• Experience translating research and data into business implications, opportunities, risks, and actionable recommendations.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and data-storytelling skills, including the ability to communicate complex information simply.
• Ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders, cross-functional leaders, and research partners, and influence without direct authority.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and relevant research and analytical tools.
• Strong understanding of AI capabilities, limitations, business impact, governance, risk, and ethical expectations; ability to apply AI-supported insights to strategic decision-making, lead change, set expectations, and model responsible use.

Responsibilities

• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to clarify business needs, identify learning objectives, and develop research plans supporting marketing, product, innovation, and strategic priorities.
• Lead consumer and market research projects from defining business questions through vendor management, methodology selection, scoping, study design, proposals, deliverables, timelines, execution, analysis, reporting, and quality assurance.
• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative research, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, online communities, ethnographic research, concept testing, product testing, pricing research, brand tracking, and foundational studies.
• Support consumer-centered innovation through opportunity identification, unmet-needs exploration, concept development and optimization, product evaluation, and post-launch learning.
• Synthesize primary research, syndicated data, internal business information, social listening, secondary research, and other sources to understand consumers and the marketplace.
• Translate research findings into insights, implications, and recommendations that support informed business decisions.
• Develop and communicate knowledge of consumer behavior, category dynamics, participation trends, competitive activity, and relevant cultural or economic trends.
• Create reports and presentations and communicate findings to stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
• Contribute to shared insights tools and resources, including consumer communities, category fact bases, research repositories, social listening, and syndicated data.
• Stay current on research methods, data sources, analytical approaches, and technology that can improve insights quality, speed, or accessibility.
• Champion responsible integration of AI and digital technologies into business strategy, prioritization, risk management, decision-making, and operations; guide adoption in alignment with governance, security, privacy, and ethical standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary, management bonus program eligibility, and annual pay increases.
• Generous paid time off and holiday benefits.
• Full benefits package and employee support, fitness, and wellness plans.
• Performance development and training opportunities, including tuition assistance.
• Collaborative, casual work environment and company events.
• Employee discounts on outdoor recreational products.
• 401(k) with company match and deferred retirement contributions.
• Sons & Daughters Scholarship program and college savings program.
• Life and LTD insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager