Research & Insights Director

Orange Barrel Media•New York, NY

4d•$130,000 - $160,000

About The Position

Orange Barrel Media is hiring a Research & Insights Director to lead our research function and serve as the strategic link between OBM's data, our sales team, and the largest agencies and national brands investing in out-of-home. This is a senior, client-facing research role for someone who knows the OOH landscape inside and out and can translate that expertise into insight that helps clients make smarter media decisions. The Research & Insights Director owns the day-to-day research agenda: client research projects including third-party impact and attribution studies, comparative and category analyses, and the research-backed case studies and marketing materials that bring OBM's story to life. This person works directly with agencies and brand partners through our Sales org to understand our client’s KPIs, decode how they measure success, and ensure OBM's inventory, positioning, and offering are aligned with what clients actually need to hit their goals. This is both a research leadership role and a relationship-driving one, requiring an energetic spirit and can-do attitude; someone driven by their desire to lift everyone up around them. Success is measured by the rigor of the work and by this person's ability to turn insight into real client conversations, building OBM's reputation as the OOH partner that best understands, and delivers against, client objectives.

Requirements

8+ years in research, insights, analytics in media, advertising, or a client-facing research role in a related field. OOH experience is a significant plus
Experience managing people and leading or scaling a research function
Comfort and credibility presenting directly to clients
Able to defend methodology, field hard questions, and connect data to business outcomes in real time
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the judgment to know which numbers matter for a given audience
A demonstrated ability to translate research into revenue via: upsells, pricing support, or competitive wins, not just industry-level advocacy
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; equally comfortable in rigorous methodology and in telling a compelling marketing story
Experience partnering cross-functionally with sales and marketing teams

Nice To Haves

Ideally has familiarity with OOH measurement standards and vendors or comparable media measurement currencies
A desire to help lift others up by showcasing through action that your expertise is a resource to be shared, offering your valuable perspective to leadership, and supporting internal stakeholders with direct one-to-one support on a regular basis

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day management of research and insights projects for both our internal stakeholders and clients, ensuring rigor, accuracy, and on-time delivery
Manage and mentor the Research & Insights Manager and the broader research function as it scales, providing support on day-to-day needs while simultaneously steering the ship
Lead the building of a library of research-backed case studies and marketing materials that answer the client's cost-benefit question directly
Engage with clients and guide conversations in tandem with our Sales executives, presenting research findings and solutions, fielding tough questions, and translating data into recommendations that move deals forward
Identify where OBM is under-earning its share of OOH budget and build the research case to win it
Seek insightful competitive advantages using data and research to aid our marketing team with telling compelling marketing stories through external-facing decks and materials
In partnership with the Research & Insights Manager, build and maintain relationships with third-party research vendors, deploying their services when they are the right fit after considering budget, scope and projected impact
Evaluate new data sources and tools, advising management on opportunities to expand our capabilities, or create efficiencies
Partner with Sales leadership and Marketing to ensure the Sales org is provided with data, research and insights on an ongoing basis, through both key deliverables, a library of resources, and direct support of their clients needs
Stay current on OOH format performance, media measurement, and research methodology trends to keep OBM's comparative claims sharp and defensible
Maintain a working view of competitor and alternative-format offerings (static, digital, other OOH operators) to keep OBM's comparative claims current and credible