Market Research Analyst

Sodexo•Pflugerville, TX

2d•Remote

About The Position

InReach is seeking a Market Research Analyst This is a remote role The Market Research Analyst plays a critical role in supporting purchasing, merchandising, and operations by analyzing market conditions, customer trends, inventory data, and competitive insights. This role partners closely with branch operations, purchasing, and merchandising teams to ensure accurate ordering, effective product placement, and data-driven decision-making across unattended retail environments, including vending and micro-markets. As part of a centralized purchasing team, this role supports 2–3 assigned branches and helps ensure products move efficiently from vendor to customer. The ideal candidate understands the end-to-end operational process, is comfortable working with large datasets, and can confidently challenge assumptions to drive accurate ordering, execution, and results.

Requirements

Strong analytical skills with advanced experience working with large datasets in Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI strongly preferred
Experience pulling and analyzing data from enterprise systems such as SAP or similar purchasing and inventory platforms
Background in operations, purchasing, merchandising, or supply chain, with a solid understanding of how products move from vendor to customer
Experience supporting unattended retail environments such as vending and micro-markets, including familiarity with planograms and POS systems
Ability to navigate online ordering systems and vendor portals (market connections not used)
Strong understanding of the impact purchasing and merchandising decisions have on branch performance and customer satisfaction
Comfort working directly with branch teams, serving as a trusted partner while constructively challenging data, assumptions, and ordering practices
Excellent communication and customer service skills; able to articulate issues clearly and drive resolution
Detail-oriented with a strong focus on data accuracy, quality assurance, and continuous improvement
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a collaborative team environment (one of five team members), reporting into leadership within the purchasing and merchandising organization

Responsibilities

Analyze existing and potential product and service markets, including customer demand, inventory levels, and competitive activity at both local and national levels
Collect, analyze, and interpret data related to customers, competitors, purchasing trends, and branch inventory accuracy
Prepare clear, actionable reports that translate market conditions and data insights into recommendations for purchasing and merchandising decisions
Maintain and manage databases, online data collection tools, reporting platforms, and vendor portals to ensure data accuracy and accessibility
Support purchasing analysis tools that determine ordering needs based on branch inventory, usage patterns, and customer demand
Partner directly with branch operations to validate actual product needs, resolve discrepancies, and ensure orders are accurate and aligned with demand
Calculate and monitor metrics using account-level and branch-level data to track performance and trends
Manage data quality assurance processes, identifying data integrity issues and making corrections to ensure reliable reporting and delivery
Compile, format, and edit data files to support presentations, dashboards, and operational reporting
Support merchandising efforts, including product setup in POS systems, planogram development, and execution follow-up with branches
Collaborate with merchandising teams to ensure products are correctly placed, maintained, and executed according to plan
Provide ongoing support to operations teams by answering day-to-day questions related to incentives, reporting, purchasing, and data insights
Assist with the creation, review, and delivery of education and training materials, including web-based training sessions
Troubleshoot data and reporting issues in partnership with operations teams, ensuring timely resolution and continuous improvement