Market Insights Specialist

Dairy Farmers of America•Kansas City, KS

About The Position

As part of DFA's Insights & Optimization (I&O) team, the Market Insights Specialist collects, analyzes, and translates market, industry, operational, and business information into actionable insights that support decision-making, strategic planning, and business performance. The role serves as a resource within assigned insight domains, initially emphasizing dairy markets, dairy industry insights, supply-and-demand, and strategic and operational research. It partners with stakeholders across the Cooperative to connect insights to recommendations, planning activities, and measurable business outcomes. The specialist owns workstreams from question framing through analysis, recommendation, communication, and follow-through, and supports recurring and on-demand insight needs, analytical models, scenario analysis, mapping, and research activities while using technology to improve speed, quality, and impact. The role develops market and industry analysis and decision-oriented communications, supports planning and scenario analysis, and builds or maintains analytical models, datasets, benchmarks, databases, and reporting tools. It uses technology such as AI and automation to improve research and repeatable insight workflows, and identifies improvements in documentation, data quality, standardization, and practical automation. The specialist manages work independently, coordinates with contributors, meets deadlines, escalates risks or decisions appropriately, and upholds the team's standards for relevant, accurate, timely, consistent, and impactful work. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in economics, agricultural economics, agribusiness, dairy science, business, analytics, marketing, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and practical experience.
Two to five years of experience in market research, business insights, economic analysis, strategic analysis, agriculture, food and beverage, or a related field.
Experience working with multiple data and research sources to develop business insights and recommendations.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, including the ability to connect market, operational, competitive, and business information.
Ability to frame an ambiguous business question, identify needed information, conduct analysis, and develop a practical recommendation.
Ability to analyze large or varied datasets and distinguish decision-relevant findings.
Strong research skills and ability to assess the credibility, consistency, and limitations of different sources.
Ability to build and maintain analytical models, maps, benchmarks, reports, and executive-ready presentations.
Ability to reason through scenarios, trade-offs, supply-and-demand dynamics, and potential business implications.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including translating technical or market subjects into understandable business implications.
Executive communication and storytelling skills emphasizing clarity, relevance, and decision support.
Demonstrated ability to independently own a moderately complex workstream from question framing through recommendation and follow-through.
Ability to partner effectively across functions and incorporate stakeholder expertise while maintaining analytical objectivity.
Comfort using AI and Copilot to accelerate research, synthesis, analysis, and reporting, with appropriate validation of outputs.
Knowledge of and skill with Microsoft Office Suite and company computer systems.
Strong organization, prioritization, and project-management skills, including balancing recurring and on-demand work.
Curiosity, learning agility, attention to detail, and willingness to develop deeper dairy market and industry expertise.
Must be able to read, write, and speak English.

Nice To Haves

Experience in dairy, agriculture, food and beverage, commodity markets, or a related industry.
Working knowledge of dairy markets, the dairy supply chain, milk pricing, milk components, Federal Milk Marketing Orders, or dairy trade flows.
Experience with analytical models, data visualization, mapping, market research platforms, or business intelligence tools.
Certification and/or license may be required during the course of employment.

Responsibilities

Compile and synthesize insights from domestic and global dairy markets, DFA information, customers, suppliers, competitors, and industry sources using primary and secondary research.
Analyze market, industry, operational, category, customer, and member information to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and implications for DFA.
Develop and manage dairy market data and insights, supply-and-demand analysis, industry benchmarking, cooperative analysis, and market outlook development.
Research and evaluate trends that could influence milk supply, dairy demand, customer requirements, or strategic opportunities.
Frame recurring and on-demand business questions, gather relevant information, conduct analysis, and develop decision-oriented recommendations.
Translate findings into presentations, reports, dashboards, models, maps, and executive-ready materials that clarify business implications, risks, opportunities, and trade-offs.
Monitor changing market and industry conditions and communicate timely implications to team members, leadership, and business stakeholders.
Partner across commercial, operational, planning, and support functions to translate insights into recommendations, planning activities, and actions that improve business performance.
Support development and delivery of executive-, employee-, member-, customer-, and industry-facing insight materials.
Support measurement and communication of outcomes resulting from business recommendations and insight initiatives.
Support strategic scenario analysis, capacity assessments, network analysis, data visualization, and other planning activities where market and operational insights intersect.
Build and maintain analytical models, datasets, benchmarks, databases, and reporting tools.
Use AI, automation, and other research tools to improve research, monitoring, synthesis, reporting, and repeatable insight workflows.
Identify opportunities to improve recurring insight processes through stronger documentation, data quality, standardization, and practical automation.
Manage assigned workstreams independently, coordinate with contributors, meet deadlines, and escalate risks or decisions appropriately.
Uphold the team's quality promise of relevant, accurate, timely, consistent, and impactful work across deliverables.
Participate in professional development opportunities and share knowledge across the Cooperative.