Senior Manager, Customer Research - Corporate - US

JOB SUMMARY 

This senior research manager will help market leadership, corporate functional leadership and LABS customer experience team acquire the primary insight they need to understand customer needs and competitive landscape in order to shape strategy, optimize current business results and understand performance. 
 
The role will identify and execute against diverse research objectives and methodologies from tracking studies to ethnographic work, leveraging third parties as well as executing studies themselves. This will require working proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders to define and execute research projects. This position will own a portfolio of key metric tracking programs and strategic ad-hoc research initiatives, as well as crafting the roadmaps for future research efforts. Sysco needs researchers who will champion the customer’s voice and will work proactively to guide the organization on how best to leverage primary research. 
 
The successful candidate will be a curious, self-starter, with strong attention to detail, with an ability to work in a new growing and ever-changing environment. This role will need to assimilate data and hone in on key insights that drive business recommendations. She/he recognizes that the true measure of success is based on the business impact 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Work collaboratively with business stakeholders, competitive insight and performance intelligence teams to scope research objectives 

• Design research instruments (surveys, discussion guides) and sampling techniques to gather data with the highest standards 

• Build an ecosystem of research partners to support research initiatives as needed 

• Lead in-house execution of some research 

• Manage internal and external research projects with expert-level project management competencies 

• Create the follow-up closed-loop process for customer experience issues identified thru research 

• Analyze primary research results to foster insights and strategic guidance 

• Create reporting tools which track and synthesize insights 

• Identify opportunities to combine qualitative insight with other data sources to uncover new learning 

• Teach  team appropriate research methodologies to solve given business problem 

• Work with business leaders across Sysco to ensure research is framed and scope to answer the appropriate business problem 

• Leverage different communication tools  (e.g., videos, reports, dashboards) to share results and ensure understanding across the enterprise 

QUALIFICATIONS 

Demonstrated leadership, problem-solving, and strong verbal and written communication skills  

Education and / or Experience:  

• 3-5 years experience in a research or strategy consulting firm or corporate research and insights team 

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, or business with concentrations in Market Research or Marketing. Master’s degree/MBA preferred. 

Professional Skills 

• Excellent communicator and storyteller. Ability to interface with executives, and work cross-functionally to influence outcomes 

• Ability to link primary research with analytics model in collaboration with data science & market insights and intelligence teams 

• Ability to conduct statistical analysis to identify a result 

• Proven ability to design and manage quantitative and qualitative research (B2B experience preferred) 

• Advanced level of understanding and knowledge of appropriate statistical applications and research design techniques 

• Experience working in customer experience metrics a plus, including real-time feedback platforms (e.g., Medallia, Qualtrics, etc)