Marketing Research Manager (Top Secret cleared)

ICF•Washington, DC

20h•Onsite

About The Position

At ICF Next, we are driven by the opportunity to solve complex challenges that matter. Our teams combine expertise in science, technology, analytics, and program management to help government clients tackle critical national priorities. We are fearless in exploring new ideas, relentless in delivering results for our clients, and committed to making a meaningful impact. We bring together strategists, creatives, technologists, and communicators to deliver integrated marketing and recruitment solutions that strengthen mission-driven organizations. ICF Next is seeking a Marketing Research Manager/Strategist to support a high-visibility federal client within the national security space, focused on large-scale recruitment marketing and employer branding initiatives. This is a fully onsite role within a secure government environment requiring close, day-to-day collaboration with client stakeholders. The role supports data-informed strategy development by analyzing market trends, audience insights, and campaign performance to inform recruitment marketing efforts and improve overall program effectiveness. The role operates at the intersection of research, analytics, and marketing, translating data into actionable insights that support targeting, messaging, and campaign optimization in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Requirements

Active Top Secret (TS) clearance required
Ability to work onsite full-time in Washington, DC
U.S. citizenship required
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, economics, or a related field
3+ years of professional experience in marketing research, analytics, or related field
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across teams

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting federal government or public-sector programs
Familiarity with recruitment marketing or employer branding
Experience analyzing data to generate actionable insights
Experience using analytics and reporting tools such as Google Analytics (GA4), Tableau, Power BI, or similar platforms to interpret performance data and generate insights
Familiarity with digital marketing analytics, including paid media, social media, and web performance measurement

Responsibilities

Conduct market, audience, and competitive research to support recruitment marketing strategies
Analyze marketing and campaign performance data to identify trends and opportunities.
Develop insights and recommendations to improve targeting, messaging, and engagement
Support development of audience segmentation and data-informed marketing approaches
Collaborate onsite with government stakeholders and cross-functional teams to align research with program objectives
Contribute to reporting, briefings, and presentations for stakeholders
Utilize analytics and marketing technology platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI, and platform-native analytics across paid media and social channels) to monitor performance and identify opportunities for improvement
Assist in development of measurement frameworks, tracking methodologies (e.g., UTM tagging, conversion tracking, and cross-channel attribution), and performance benchmarks to support KPI reporting and optimization
Support integration and alignment of data across platforms (e.g., CRM/email systems, web analytics, and media platforms) to enable cohesive reporting and full-funnel performance insights
Identify emerging trends in workforce behavior and digital engagement
Support ongoing optimization efforts through testing and analysis