Scouting Analyst

State Farm•Bloomington, IL

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

Being good neighbors – helping people, investing in our communities, and making the world a better place – is who we are at State Farm. It is at the core of how we operate and the reason for our success. Come join a #1 team and do some good! The Scouting & Trends Team learns about the latest startups and trends by networking with founders, venture capitalists, and other thought leaders who are pioneering these technologies. These insights are then synthesized with secondary research—such as trend analyses and market scans—that the team also conducts. The team shares these findings across the organization, and this “peek around the corner” equips and empowers internal teams (e.g., State Farm Ventures) to benefit from these impactful solutions.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience required.
Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, engineering, data analytics, or a related field.
Solid understanding of technology trends, startup ecosystems, business processes, and enterprise innovation.
Curiosity and eagerness to learn about emerging technologies, startups, insurance, and corporate venture capital; and the ability to share findings with key stakeholders.
Ability to synthesize complex information into concise, executive-ready insights and recommendations.
Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
Excellent relationship-building and networking abilities across internal and external stakeholders.
Strong judgment, initiative, and comfort working with ambiguity.
Strong associative thinking: Ability to identify and explore potential opportunities arising from emerging technology trends and startup solutions, and assess their relevance to insurance.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports, presentations, memos, and leadership updates.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with insurance, financial services, fintech, Insurtech, AI, climate resilience, mobility, or other deep tech domains is a plus.
Experience using AI tools, market intelligence platforms, startup databases, or data visualization tools to support research and analysis.
Experience preparing market maps or other market intelligence and insights is a plus.
Experience developing new product ideas or tech commercialization is a plus.

Responsibilities

Monitor emerging technology trends and analyze startup pitch materials, profiles, customer traction, fundraising history, and comparable companies
Translate insights into actionable recommendations and market opportunities for key stakeholders.
Assess potential impact on business priorities, customer value, and strategic capabilities for potential Proof of Concept tests or venture investment.
Develop and sustain strong relationships across the organization and the broader innovation ecosystem (e.g., startups, accelerators, incubators, and universities).
Represent State Farm within the startup and external tech ecosystems in a professional manner, helping identify potential opportunities.
Lead or contribute to trends reports, market scans, and other complex outputs for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Manage competing priorities across research, developing reports, stakeholder requests and other projects while maintaining quality and responsiveness.
Coordinate end-to-end PoC activities with key stakeholders, including defining objectives, setting up test environments, aligning solution providers and internal teams, and enabling stakeholders to demo startup capabilities.

Benefits

Compensation is based on a standard 38:45-hour work week
Potential starting salary range: $80,600 - $123,000 (or $100,750 – $153,750 for California candidates)
Starting salary will be based on skills, background, and experience
High end of the range limited to applicants with significant relevant experience
Potential yearly incentive pay up to 15% of base salary
Annual raise and bonus
Robust health and wellbeing programs
State Farm pays most of your healthcare premium
Multiple healthcare plan options, including a high deductible plan
All medical plans provide 100% coverage for in-network preventative care
Access to vision, dental, telemedicine, 24/7 mental health professionals
Educational benefits like industry leading training programs
Top-notch tuition assistance programs
Employee resource groups
Mentoring
Fertility/IVF/adoption assistance
College coaching
National discount programs
Interactive monthly financial workshops
Free financial coaching
Ability to start a savings account or consider financing through State Farm Federal Credit Union
Generous time off policies
Opportunity to initially earn up to 20 days annually
Parental leave
Paid holidays
Celebration day
Life leave (40 hours/year)
Bereavement leave
Community service/education support days
Matching Gift Program
Good Neighbor Grant Program
Employee Assistance Fund
Free financial advisors
401(k) plan with company contributions of up to 7% of your salary
401k Plan
Health Insurance
Dental/Vision plans
Life Insurance
Paid Time Off
Annual Merit Increase
Tuition Reimbursement
Health Initiatives