Market Research Operations Specialist

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Market Research Operations Specialist to support our Consumer Insights team. This role is pivotal in ensuring the seamless and timely execution of research initiatives and projects that inform business decisions and enhance customer experiences. The ideal candidates will have strong project management skills, a foundational understanding of market research methodologies, and a collaborative mindset.

This full-time position reports to the Senior Manager of Consumer Insights and is expected to work in a hybrid model, which currently includes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in-office.

Research Operations / Project Management Support

• →Coordinate the scheduling of multiple research projects from initiation to completion, ensuring timelines are met
• →Manage vendor relationships including: contract and payment coordination and communication
• →Develop and maintain project documentation, such as contracts, timelines, budgets, and status reports, to keep internal stakeholders informed
• →Oversee management and monitoring of recruitment logistics from both internal and external panels to ensure diverse and representative participant samples
• →Ensure data integrity and PII standards are integrated into the process across all research projects by maintaining high-quality standards for data handling.

Research Support

• →Work closely with the Consumer Insights team to operationalize and organize research studies, including basic survey programming, participant recruitment, and data collection
• →Supporting specific phases of the project process: survey programming, monitoring data collection, data pulling/preliminary analysis (charts, open-end analyses, etc.) and reporting (updating templatized slides, dashboards, etc.)
• →Secondary research (AI tools, referencing different online sources, etc.)

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• →Serve as the internal scheduling bridge between the CI research team and cross-functional departments, such as Marketing, Creative, Merchandising, Operations, Digital, and Customer Service to manage research assets and project flow
• →Provide logistical support for internal and external workshops, focus groups, and testing sessions, including scheduling, materials preparation, and technology setup
• →Clearly communicate project updates and status to key stakeholders
• →Manage and update the CI library of programs, projects, and insights to ensure easy access across the organization

Process Optimization

• →Identify opportunities to streamline research processes and implement tools or frameworks to improve efficiency
• →Maintain and update a repository of research templates, guidelines, and best practices
• →Monitor industry trends and emerging tools in research operations to keep the team running efficiently and effectively

• Strong proactive project management with experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
• 1-2 years of experience in Market Research, Consumer Insights, or a related field, with exposure to both quantitative and qualitative methodologies
• Baseline proficiency with project management and research tools and platforms (e.g., survey software and project management platforms)
• Excellent organizational skills, with a keen eye for detail and ability to manage complex logistics
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including translating timeline and process details and clearly communicate to internal stakeholders

Nice-to-have Skills

• Knowledge of basic project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Figma, Confluence)
• Curious and passionate about understanding consumer behavior and improving customer experiences
  • Familiarity with CI and UX quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
  • Base-level experience with research platforms
  • Basic statistical analysis skills a plus
• A background or coursework in psychology, sociology, business, or a related field is preferred
• A self-starter with a collaborative approach to problem-solving
• Adaptable and able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Demonstrated AI literacy, enabling effective understanding, interaction, and critical evaluation of AI technologies and applications across diverse business functions

The company's mission is to create joy together. We empower our team and partners to love what they do, provide products and experiences that inspire meaningful moments with family and friends, and give back to our families and communities in impactful ways. When you join Balsam Brands, you'll find a culture of caring people doing challenging work and building a welcoming workplace.

• Check out our flagship brand, Balsam Hill: balsamhill.com
• Balsam Brands in Forbes: https://bit.ly/balsambrandsforbes2023
• Balsam Brands on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/balsam-brands/
• Glassdoor: https://bit.ly/balsambrands-glassdoor

At Balsam Brands, we strive to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. For permanent, full-time team members, our current package includes:

• Competitive compensation, including a cash-based incentive plan; salary is reviewed yearly and may be adjusted as part of the normal compensation review process
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, with 100% of monthly premiums covered for team members, and 85%+ employer-paid premiums for other coverage tiers that include dependents
• Up to $2,000 annual funding toward HSA accounts
• Medical, transit, dependent care FSA
• Infertility coverage offered on all medical plans
• Generous parental leave program and flexible return options
• Company-paid life and AD&D insurance
• Company-paid short and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with dollar-for-dollar company match up to $4,000 per calendar year
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and other mental health and wellness perks
• Paid holidays, annual shutdown week, PTO, and volunteer time-off (VTO) packages
• Paid 5-week sabbatical leave after 10 years of employment
• Annual continuous learning benefit up to $1,000 per person, per fiscal year
• Up to $300 flexible reimbursement to support setup of new team member's work-from-home environment
• Generous team member merchandise discount
• Valuable extras: identity theft protection, subsidized parking, monthly wellness, pet insurance, accident & critical illness insurance

The base pay range for this position is: $60,000 to $75,000. Please note that placement within the posted salary range is based on several factors, including geographic location, experience, skills, alignment with role requirements and other job-related factors. It is uncommon for offers to be made at the top of the range, as this typically reflects a candidate who exceeds all role requirements and brings significant, directly applicable experience. We benchmark our pay ranges against current external data sources and regularly review compensation for our team members. Balsam Brands is committed to providing our team members with an internally fair, externally competitive, and fiscally prudent total compensation package administered in a simple and consistent manner.

At Balsam Brands, we strive to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team to fulfill our purpose to create joy together. Balsam Brands is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

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