Director, Market and Digital Research, Americas

The Director, Market and Digital Research, Americas, is the market and digital research expert for the Americas Continent, utilizing leading market research techniques to create breakthrough Consumer Insight, guide business strategies, and support broader Americas Continent objectives. The Director, who will be co-located with the Americas team, is responsible for conducting and managing primary research efforts for key business stakeholders in the Americas, and for leading the Americas component of global research efforts.  The Director is responsible for managing vendors to execute against market research needs, and delivering impactful client-ready presentations on the outcomes from market research efforts. This position works closely with the Consumer Insight Advisors in the Americas and at HQ to design and execute leading-edge market and digital research projects to answer key business questions in the Americas.  This person also works closely with the Director, Market Research Platforms, to ensure the adoption of leading-edge techniques and vendors, and to effectively pull through findings from enterprise-level platforms (e.g. brand health) to day-to-day research projects.  The Director is considered the Americas Continent team’s authority in the area of market research.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• 6+ years of professional experience, demonstrating progressive career growth and a pattern of exceptional performance in consumer research and/or project/program management positions.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in a consumer- or analytics-oriented discipline (e.g. consumer marketing research, operations research, economics, statistics, social psychology, consumer psychology).
• Master’s or other advanced degree in a marketing or research discipline desirable
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, programs and vendors to impactful business outcomes

• Demonstrated expertise in customer research methods (e.g. survey design, statistics, sampling theory, in cross-cultural settings – highly desirable).
• Extensive experience leading complex, high profile, multi-brand research initiatives and programs
• Solid track record of advancing business direction and strategies and ability to influence change
• Outstanding vendor management and project management skills
• Highly effective oral/written communication abilities; and excellent presentation and storytelling skills
• Expert in distilling complex information and data into actionable recommendations
• Innovative thinker with broad business view; can balance strategic and financial perspectives

Lead and manage market and digital research efforts in the Americas Continent, with implications to the global landscape and specific brand strategies.

• Plans and leads execution of market and digital research efforts within the Americas Continent, either Continent-directed, or as a component of a global program (e.g. brand health survey, consumer segmentation).
• Provides thought leadership and standards of practice to design and execute market and digital research projects (e.g. optimal research approach and methods to use to generate insights on consumer preference/behavior and to inform strategy and practice).
• Plans/leverages research/intelligence efforts across the Americas to optimize investment and maximize value to the Americas Continent team and to MI.
• Collaborates with Consumer Insights Advisory team and broader Customer Experience team to determine where and how market and digital research techniques are deployed to address business issues and opportunities with consumers in the Americas. 
• Collaborates with Director, Market Research Platforms to evaluate vendors that may be used to support market research in the Americas.
• Collaborates with Marriott Digital team to design and execute digital path/multivariate testing on digital platforms to support insight generation on the digital experience for US, Canadian, and CALA customers.
• Represents Consumer Insights in Americas Continent forums as the market and digital research expert.

Managing and Conducting Human Resources Activities

• Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, team members, and vendor partners.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge of function-specific procedures.
• Keeps up-to-date technically and applies new knowledge to job.
• Performs other reasonable duties as required for this position.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES  

• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.
• Leading Through Vision and Values - Keeps the organization's vision and values at the forefront of decision making and action.
• Managing Change - Initiates and/or manages the change process and energizes it on an ongoing basis, taking steps to remove barriers or accelerate its pace; serves as role model for how to handle change by maintaining composure and performance level under pressure or when experiencing challenges.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develops and evaluates alternatives and solutions, solves problems, and chooses a course of action.
• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.
• Strategy Development - Develops business plans by exploring and systematically evaluating opportunities with the greatest potential for producing positive results; ensures successful preparation and execution of business plans through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

• Building a Successful Team - Uses an effective interpersonal style to build a cohesive team; inspires and sustains team cohesion and engagement by focusing the team on its mission and importance to the organization.
• Strategy Execution– Ensures successful execution across of business plans designed to maximize customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.
• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.

• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer/stakeholder needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards.
• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.
• Strategic Partnerships - Develops collaborative relationships with fellow employees and business partners by making them feel valued, appreciated, and included; explores partnership opportunities with other people in and outside the organization; influences and leverages corporate and continental shared services and/or discipline leaders (e.g., HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Revenue Management) to achieve objectives; maintains effective external relations with government, business and industry in respective countries; performs effectively as a liaison between locations, disciplines, and corporate to ensure needed resources are received and corporate strategies are understood and executed.

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.
• Talent Management - Provides guidance and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives.

• Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenges.