Sr. Strategic Insights Manager

ACS•Washington, DC

14h•$112,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

Lead end-to-end qualitative research programs: scope, design, recruit, moderate, synthesize, and tell the story using methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, journey mapping, and jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) to uncover member needs across segments (students, academia, industry, government, international). Create rigorous research plans and protocols: develop research briefs, discussion guides, screeners, sampling frames, and consent materials that meet ethical standards, protect participant privacy, and ensure representation across ACS governance structure. Synthesize qualitative data into actionable insights: conduct coding and thematic analysis (e.g., grounded theory, affinity mapping, insight frameworks), triangulate with quantitative findings, and deliver clear narratives, personas, journey maps, and opportunity areas that inform membership, education, meetings, publishing, and sustainability strategies. Partner closely with quantitative researchers/analysts: collaborate on mixed-methods designs; align qualitative learning objectives with survey constructs, segmentation, and conjoint/discrete choice modeling; interpret statistical outputs; and jointly craft cohesive insight stories that drive data-informed decisions. Lead market and constituency’s experience research: assess program awareness, value proposition, pricing sensitivities, channel preferences, and content needs; benchmark against peer professional societies and publishers; and identify growth opportunities across the membership lifecycle (acquisition, engagement, renewal, reactivation). Translate insights into decisions and measurable impact: frame insights as trade-offs and scenarios; recommend pilots/experiments; define success metrics (e.g., engagement, NPS, conversion, retention, and revenue for mission-aligned initiatives); and partner with business owners to track outcomes via dashboards (e.g., Power BI, Tableau). Elevate research quality, consistency, and speed: establish research operations standards—toolkits, templates, IRB/ethics checks where applicable, vendor management, participant recruitment best practices, incentive policies—and build a searchable insight repository that supports institutional memory. Facilitate stakeholder engagement and alignment: run workshops and readouts with executives and cross-functional teams; use facilitation techniques (e.g., design sprints, assumption mapping, opportunity solution trees) to align learning objectives, decisions to be made, and actions owners will take. Support innovation governance and strategy: contribute qualitative evidence to ACS’s innovation portfolio; help prioritize concepts, de-risk new offerings, and validate desirability/feasibility/viability; integrate member voice into stage-gate decisions and business cases. Ensure global relevance and inclusion: design and conduct research that accounts for cultural, linguistic, and regional differences (e.g., China office, Europe/Asia field representatives); apply inclusive research practices to reach underrepresented groups and diverse career stages across ACS’s global community. Communicate insights through compelling deliverables: produce concise executive briefs, narrative memos, visual storyboards, and decision-ready presentations tailored to stakeholders in Membership, Education & Career Development, Science, Research & Sustainability, and Meetings & Expositions. This role is based in our Washington, D.C. office.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end qualitative research programs: scope, design, recruit, moderate, synthesize, and tell the story using methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, journey mapping, and jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) to uncover member needs across segments (students, academia, industry, government, international).
Create rigorous research plans and protocols: develop research briefs, discussion guides, screeners, sampling frames, and consent materials that meet ethical standards, protect participant privacy, and ensure representation across ACS governance structure.
Synthesize qualitative data into actionable insights: conduct coding and thematic analysis (e.g., grounded theory, affinity mapping, insight frameworks), triangulate with quantitative findings, and deliver clear narratives, personas, journey maps, and opportunity areas that inform membership, education, meetings, publishing, and sustainability strategies.
Partner closely with quantitative researchers/analysts: collaborate on mixed-methods designs; align qualitative learning objectives with survey constructs, segmentation, and conjoint/discrete choice modeling; interpret statistical outputs; and jointly craft cohesive insight stories that drive data-informed decisions.
Lead market and constituency’s experience research: assess program awareness, value proposition, pricing sensitivities, channel preferences, and content needs; benchmark against peer professional societies and publishers; and identify growth opportunities across the membership lifecycle (acquisition, engagement, renewal, reactivation).
Translate insights into decisions and measurable impact: frame insights as trade-offs and scenarios; recommend pilots/experiments; define success metrics (e.g., engagement, NPS, conversion, retention, and revenue for mission-aligned initiatives); and partner with business owners to track outcomes via dashboards (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
Elevate research quality, consistency, and speed: establish research operations standards—toolkits, templates, IRB/ethics checks where applicable, vendor management, participant recruitment best practices, incentive policies—and build a searchable insight repository that supports institutional memory.
Facilitate stakeholder engagement and alignment: run workshops and readouts with executives and cross-functional teams; use facilitation techniques (e.g., design sprints, assumption mapping, opportunity solution trees) to align learning objectives, decisions to be made, and actions owners will take.
Support innovation governance and strategy: contribute qualitative evidence to ACS’s innovation portfolio; help prioritize concepts, de-risk new offerings, and validate desirability/feasibility/viability; integrate member voice into stage-gate decisions and business cases.
Ensure global relevance and inclusion: design and conduct research that accounts for cultural, linguistic, and regional differences (e.g., China office, Europe/Asia field representatives); apply inclusive research practices to reach underrepresented groups and diverse career stages across ACS’s global community.
Communicate insights through compelling deliverables: produce concise executive briefs, narrative memos, visual storyboards, and decision-ready presentations tailored to stakeholders in Membership, Education & Career Development, Science, Research & Sustainability, and Meetings & Expositions.