Director of Market Research & Insights

Benchmark Senior Living•Waltham, MA

About The Position

Benchmark Senior Living is seeking a strategic and action-oriented Director of Market Research and Insights to lead the organization's understanding of their communities including residents and families. This role is responsible for transforming data, observations, feedback, and research into actionable insights that improve resident experience, family engagement, occupancy, and overall community performance. The Director will serve as Benchmark's voice of the customer and voice of the community, helping leaders understand what is happening across the portfolio, why it is happening, and what actions should be taken in response. Success in this role requires a deep curiosity about people, strong analytical capabilities, and the ability to translate insights into practical recommendations that drive measurable results. This leader will partner closely with Operations, Marketing, Resident Care, Culinary, Sales, and Community Leadership to ensure decisions are informed by real customer needs. The role reports directly to the Vice President of Marketing and collaborates broadly across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, Statistics, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Data Analytics, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum 8+ years of experience in insights, analytics, research, strategy, or similar roles.
Strong expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and insight generation.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large datasets to uncover meaningful patterns.
Proficiency with excel and analytics tools (e.g., dashboards, A/B testing platforms).
Demonstrated ability to translate data into actionable insights and influence decision-making.
Experience managing external research partners and vendors.
Experience creating research such as surveys and focus group questions, deploying the research and analyzing results.
Experience in creating an annual organizational or departmental learning plan and managing the plan, timing and budget.
Strong presentation, storytelling, and communication skills for diverse audiences.
Ability to blend strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
Project management experience and ability to operate in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Responsibilities

Create and maintain an annual learning plan including schedule and budget.
Develop methodology to gain a comprehensive understanding of resident, family, and prospect experiences across Benchmark communities utilizing new and existing data.
Source, evaluate, and select high-quality research partners to support qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research initiatives.
Design or support the design and execution of research including surveys, focus groups, interviews, ethnography/observational studies, and market analyses across operations, marketing, culinary, resident care, development, and other functions.
Identify patterns, unmet needs, emerging trends, and opportunities for improvement.
Create community and customer profiles that help leaders better understand behaviors, motivations, and expectations.
Translate insights into practical recommendations that improve resident experience, family engagement, and business performance.
Partner with functional leaders to prioritize opportunities and develop action plans.
Monitor implementation and evaluate outcomes to ensure insights drive measurable impact.
Establish a disciplined approach for turning observations and feedback into organizational action.
Partner with Operations, Marketing, Sales, Resident Care, Culinary, Human Resources, and Community Leadership to embed customer insights into decision-making.
Facilitate discussions that align teams around key findings and opportunities.
Support strategic initiatives, experience enhancements, and innovation across the organization.
Develop and manage key listening systems and feedback mechanisms.
Monitor resident and family sentiment and satisfaction trends.
Create dashboards and reporting that provide leaders with meaningful insights and recommended actions.
Establish measures that track the impact of initiatives and improvements.
Conduct targeted research to support organizational priorities and growth opportunities.
Monitor demographic, competitive, and senior living trends that may impact Benchmark's strategy.
Evaluate emerging needs and expectations among current and future customers.
Support special initiatives and innovation projects requiring insights expertise.