VP of Research and Insights

GWI•New York, NY

2d•$120,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At GWI, we are seeking an extraordinary individual to join our team in New York as a VP of Research and Insights. This role is crucial for making an extraordinary impact. The ideal candidate will play a key role in shaping our research and insight offerings, driving innovation, and acting as the primary representative for Research & Insight both internally and externally. We are looking for someone who excels at translating research expertise into commercial success, has proven experience leading research/insight teams, partners effectively with revenue functions to close strategic deals, possesses deep methodological credibility, and has a strong presence in presentations and with senior client stakeholders.

Requirements

Expert understanding of methodologies such as U&A, segmentation, brand tracking, advertising effectiveness, and concept testing/development.
Knowledge of the syndicated research landscape, including key competitors and their strengths/weaknesses.
Ability to build holistic research solutions spanning syndicated and custom approaches.
Ability to articulate the benefits of advanced analytics techniques.
Deep knowledge of program design, quotas, weighting, and standard/GWI-specific research practices.
Expertise in study design, translating business questions into thoughtfully designed questionnaires.
Ability to produce exceptionally well-written and well-designed outputs that address business needs and research objectives.
Up-to-date knowledge of new initiatives and approaches in the research field.
Knowledge of and willingness to integrate AI within research for efficiency and output enhancement.
Enthusiasm for integrating synthetic research within GWI’s offerings.
Ability to turn data into impactful stories.
Strategic judgment: ability to anticipate challenges, connect insights, and make decisions balancing immediate needs with the bigger picture.
Adaptability: comfort with change and ability to keep pace in a growing environment.
Commercial Fluency: understanding of how value is created for customers and the business, and using this knowledge to drive decisions and performance.
Highly organized: ability to manage multiple projects and initiatives with strong process and operational discipline.
Collaborative: comfortable working across teams and time zones.
Transformational leadership: ability to craft a compelling vision, foster innovation, and inspire/motivate people to drive organizational change.
Excellent public speaking skills, confidence, and ability to tell impactful stories on stage.

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering with revenue functions to close strategic deals.
Experience presenting on stage and with senior client stakeholders.
Experience with pricing/packaging strategies.
Experience with DE&I initiatives.
Experience with volunteer days.
Experience with 100% donation matching.

Responsibilities

Shape and develop the strategy for GWI’s research and insight offerings, including syndicated and custom products, ensuring they are competitive and evolving with market expectations.
Act as the ultimate decision-maker on themes and questions for syndicated products, balancing client needs with practical feasibility and integrating syndicated and custom data approaches.
Develop original research and thought leadership to showcase GWI’s capabilities and drive new business or expansion opportunities.
Support and champion research innovations, ensuring successful implementation within research and insight products.
Serve as the expert on research for both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring client workflows and priorities are understood and reflected in solutions.
Instill confidence in GWI’s research credentials and capabilities to support Go-To-Market (GTM) efforts and drive new business and expansion deals.
Develop relationships with key client stakeholders, identifying opportunities and providing necessary reassurance.
Present at client meetings and industry speaking engagements (e.g., CES, SXSW, TMRE, Cannes Lions).
Represent the department at company-wide meetings, such as Town Halls.
Assume a key leadership role in the New York office, ensuring the team understands GWI's strategy, capabilities, and unique selling propositions (USPs).
Partner closely with Revenue leadership to achieve targets, participating in pitches, consulting with clients, and recommending flexible pricing/packaging strategies.
Ensure a competitive pricing framework is in place with agreed-upon rules of engagement for discounting, while maintaining minimum profit margins.
Oversee the pitch process for large, strategic deals, acting as the primary point-of-contact for senior client stakeholders.
Line manage the Directors of the Research Services and Insight Services teams, acting as an aspirational figurehead.
Ensure team members possess necessary skills and industry knowledge, identifying training and development needs.
Ensure the department is aligned with company strategy.
Oversee the quality of all deliverables, ensuring research meets quality thresholds and reflects client needs.
Ensure insight deliverables are genuinely insightful and tailored to their target audiences.
Establish processes for remedial or reactive measures and lead communications/solutions for client issues.
Collaborate closely with GWI leadership to achieve optimal commercial outcomes, prioritizing company-first decisions.
Work closely with the SVP Research to ensure alignment between the Research & Discovery and Research Operations teams.
Collaborate with Product and Tech teams to evolve offerings and design solutions and tech stacks, challenging constructively and finding pragmatic solutions.