Job description
About Us
CMB is a full-service custom market research and strategy firm based in Boston. As a Top 30 Insights & Analytics company, we’re known for our relentless business-decision focus and cutting-edge creativity. Our passion is helping the world’s leading brands engage, innovate, and grow. We leverage the best of advanced analytics, consumer psychology, and market strategy to tackle game-changing initiatives and business challenges for our clients.
What about our culture? Simply put, our people are our power. We have a diverse, inclusive and collaborative team of bright perspectives and curious minds. At CMB you’ll have plenty of opportunities to achieve your full potential. From learning new skills, expanding your expertise, and continuing to advance your professional development, you will feel supported and valued.
Our benefits say a lot about how much we value our employees: we offer a fully paid sabbatical, a $250 wellness stipend, paid time off to volunteer, generous medical plans, a 401k match, and more. Every employee also gets to enjoy an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
ESOP? Yes, we are 100% employee-owned! An ESOP is like a qualified retirement plan, similar to a 401k, but you don’t have to make any contributions to participate in the rewards. When we each work hard to provide exceptional service and deliverables to our clients, the positive performance of the company increases the value of our stock and enables the accumulation of wealth for all our employee-owners.
About the Position
Join a leading custom market research firm known for delivering strategic insights to some of the world’s most respected brands. We are seeking a Manager of Qualitative Insights & Strategy Operations, an individual focused on cultivating talent and delivering thought-provoking insights to our clients.
In this role, you’ll independently manage qualitative-forward projects, drawing on your understanding of a wide range of methodologies. You’ll leverage a mix of classic and emergent methods as we work with clients. You should have at least one year of experience managing people, and a confident, client-ready presence. Experience in both online and in-person research environments is strongly preferred, as is a strategic mindset and operational fluency.
About You
People say you understand human behavior and how emotions & values drive decisions for clients. You are a pro at building positive relationships, leading and mentoring others, and you excel in organization and time management. You are intellectually curious, passionate about human understanding, and skilled at weaving insights into compelling narratives. These are just a few of the reasons you’re excited to work for a market research company that is established and has a record of success – just like CMB!
About Your Background
You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and now you’re looking for that next step to continue your career in market research. Here’s what you’ll be doing and the qualifications we are looking for:
Responsibilities and Expectations
Qualitative Team
- Assist in the planning, scoping, design, and pricing of project work
- Manage, coach, and develop project management team members (Qualitative Research Specialist & Qualitative Insights Consultants)
- Partner with Director of Qualitative Operations and client services to develop mixed-method specialists, ART shadow opportunities and overflow qualitative project management support
- Partner with PD&I to collaborate on new tech and tools with focus on operational efficiencies
- Support Operations in measuring and optimizing BU and operational team performance, project activation, and resource planning (including translating proposals into project plans)
- Support Sales with qualitative proposal contributions and account management as needed
Essential Duties
Team Management
- Manage a team of 1-3 qualitative project management specialists
- Actively manage the team by continuously measuring and discussing performance, providing mentoring and coaching feedback, and creating development opportunities for team members
- Ensure a high degree of employee engagement and positive / professionally constructive feedback
- Partner with members of the Qualitative BU and Client Services team to enable equitable workload distribution
- Partner with members of the Qualitative BU and HR to effectively recruit and onboard new CMB talent, when necessary
- Collaborate on the definition and successful deployment of The CMB Difference
- Partner with others to develop and deploy standardized trainings
On projects:
Contributing through the entire project lifecycle for qualitative research,
Involvement with monitoring project budget, work plan, profitability, as well as project and billings schedule, to meet or exceed targets
Adherence to a proactive fiscal management of projects
Assigned to more complex projects, including multinational engagements, and oversees mixed-method research as needed
Partner closely with qualitative moderators (internal and external) to shape insights into narratives and activating insights
Effectively communicate with Qualitative Research Specialists, Project Management, Moderators, Insights Associates, Consultants, Contractors, peers, and other senior staff
Anticipate and identify project problems and find solutions independently
Other relevant duties, projects, and/or initiatives as assigned
Client Services
- Adhere to CMB’s defined approaches, processes, and best practices
- Take advantage of training and development opportunities
- Contribute to a team and/or committee for ongoing CMB initiatives
- Follow CMB- and client-specific Information Security Policies
- Ensure end-to-end client/project delivery in alignment with Sales & Account Management leading to high client satisfaction with project deliverables
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Market Research, Marketing, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field
- Minimum 4 years of professional market research experience or demonstrated success as a Qualitative Insights Consultant at CMB
- Minimum of 2 years independently managing multiple qualitative market research project teams
- Advanced understanding of qualitative market research methods (e.g., virtual and in-person live interviews, online discussion boards/mobile diaries, intercepts and in-home interviews, creative brainstorming sessions)
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent at establishing and managing relationships with clients, vendors, and co-workers
- High attention to detail
- Excellent at managing multiple projects, establishing priorities, and time management
- Advanced knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Advanced knowledge/experience with project management or financial software (Salesforce, Kimble, Monday.com or similar)
- Experience with a variety of qualitative research platforms (e.g., Discuss.io, Indeemo, Recollective) preferred
- Sense of humor and self-awareness
*No agency assistance needed*
*No visa/work authorization available*
CMB strongly encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We recognize that people from structurally marginalized groups often only apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications, despite the reality that applicants rarely ever meet 100% of the qualifications. If this position aligns with your experience and interests, please apply!
CMB is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or protected veteran status, or to other non-work-related factors. As part of our commitment to inclusivity, CMB will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Kate Milligan [email protected].
The annual base salary range for this position is $77,600-$94,000 plus bonus, benefits, and an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The base salary is dependent on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) experience, expertise, skills, and employee’s location.
