Research Strategist

Freeman•Dallas, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a business strategy role with research at its core, not a marketing research function or an independent research role. The research strategist role exists to drive client decisions inside fast-moving consulting engagements. Our Strategy & Insights practice lives at the intersection of consulting rigor and the fast-moving world of live events and we're in the middle of building something genuinely new. We partner with in-person event organizers across the full strategic spectrum: helping thriving events optimize and grow and guiding struggling ones through meaningful turnarounds. What makes this moment special is that we're actively evolving into a high-performing consulting practice, and we're hiring a Research Strategist to join a fast-growing team: someone ready to bring strong research skills alongside consulting fundamentals to help us scale our Event Strategy and Profitable Growth capabilities, support client engagements, shape how we work, and elevate those around them. If you're looking for a role where you can grow fast, contribute to something being built in real time, and see your impact on both clients and a team still taking shape, this is where that happens. You will work directly with executive-level event organizers to drive community engagement and profitable revenue through in-person and online events. We're especially excited about candidates who bring rigorous research skills, consulting fundamentals, and a passion for problem-solving and innovation. This position will support our Growth team. It is eligible to work a hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office and/or show site 2-3 days per week. The ideal candidate will be based out of any of the following locations: Dallas, TX Anaheim, CA Denver, CO Orlando, FL Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL McCook, IL Las Vegas, NV New Orleans, LA Nashville, TN San Antonio, TX Alexandria, VA Kearny, NJ

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree (Business, Management, Economics, Statistics or related field preferred).
2+ years of management consulting experience, applied market research, or an insights consultancy
3-5 years of professional experience in research, insights or strategy consulting
Strong observation, analytical, and business acumen skills and demonstrated ability for abstract thought
Experience building slide-based client deliverables (e.g., situation-complication-resolution frameworks) for senior stakeholders with clear logic and a compelling narrative
Experience with research design and methodology, including survey instrument design, sampling approaches, qualitative interviewing, and statistical or segmentation analysis (Qualtrics, SPSS, R, or similar a plus)
Strong sense of personal organization — you know how to prioritize and keep yourself on track, even when juggling multiple projects in a fast-moving environment
Exceptional proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as demonstrated understanding of AI tools to improve efficiency and provide input into analysis and work products
Ability to demonstrate critical thinking, use of logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
Demonstrated drive to perform and deliver results including comfort moving fluidly between rigorous research work and fast-turnaround, ambiguous consulting engagements.
Maintains a high level of interest, enthusiasm and personal focus.
Seeks and takes advantage of opportunities to identify unique and novel solutions to problems
Ability to work independently and as part of a team; demonstrated eagerness to learn new skills, adapt to change, and raise the bar

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with or interest in the live events business is a plus
Prior experience working on client deliverables across a range of sectors or with industry/trade associations is a plus

Responsibilities

Work across multiple project types and industry research to identify opportunities, use structured problem solving and hypothesis-driven analysis to help clients create new value in the event industry
Design and field research that produces insights and decision support data, including primary research (surveys, interviews, focus groups) as well as organize and analyze qualitative and quantitative data (financial and operational) and partner with others to create compelling executive client presentations with clear steps for action
Conduct qualitative research including field observation and stakeholder interviews at industry events to identify improvement opportunities that drive new revenue growth for clients
Design research methodologies and instruments (survey design, sampling approach, interview guides) suited to each client's strategic question or challenge
Support development of strategic growth frameworks leveraging data-driven tools, quantitative analysis and critical thinking
Collaborate with others across Strategy & Insights and Freeman to develop new approaches and frameworks to advance the events industry
Build and maintain client communication and foster client relationships
Demonstrate a client-centric approach on all strategy and research engagements
Work across the Strategy and Insights team to lead the industry in thought leadership, growth and profitability strategies, and identify opportunities to foster engagement, commerce, learning and professional growth at in-person and online events