Director/Senior Director, Insights

This role can be based out of our Washington DC, New York, New Jersey or Chicago office

Avoq is seeking an exceptionally talented research leader to define and propel the future of our award-winning Insights team. Armed with a state-of-the-art suite of data tools, technology, and methodologies, Avoq’s Insights team is our engine for industry-leading innovation and actionable research that informs data-driven, best-in-class strategies for our clients.

WHO YOU ARE

Senior Team Leader – You will have strong team and project management abilities that enable you to cultivate the talent and skills of team members, establish templates and processes that create consistency in high quality research products, and ensure the team’s pipeline of projects are efficiently scoped and effectively delivered.

Business Driver – You will be involved in the highest priority new business and client assignments, helping define and pitch insights activities that put research at the center of client strategy development and execution. You will also play a key role in driving the business impact of the insights team, including revenue tracking and profitability.

Subject Matter Expert – You will be looked to as the preeminent research expert within the insights team, across Avoq, and by the firm’s largest clients, serving as a critical resource in devising research methodologies, scoping projects, , divvying out assignments, and presenting findings and actionable recommendations to clients and account teams.

Data Strategist – You will be able to pinpoint and translate key findings of research to help clients and account teams achieve a wide array of reputation, business, and policy objectives across a diverse range of sectors and situations. You will possess experience or be willing to learn how insights supports specific tactics, such as media relations, paid advertising, stakeholder engagement, content strategy, message development, rapid response, and more.

Research Maven – You will possess a deep background in quantitative or qualitative research and be willing to learn the ins and outs of Avoq’s methodologies and suite of data tools and research products, which track issues across different sectors and geographies. Ideally, you will have experience with some of these tools but must have an interest in and aptitude for building a skillset in areas like social listening, media intelligence, legislative and policy tracking, and market research. Avoq will provide training and onboarding to facilitate this learning process.

Storyteller – Data needs to tell a story. You must have a natural curiosity about the world, cause and effect events, and uncovering “the why” behind the data. You will work with colleagues to synthesize your findings into compelling actionable recommendations and presentations and be able to confidently articulate these stories to internal and external audiences.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Use data to uncover insights about trends and situations involving news, social media, advertising, public policy, and communications
• Leverage research and data-driven findings to make connections and deliver insights relevant to strategic assignments
• Identify key takeaways, implications for brands, and actionable recommendations as though its second nature
• Design and explain methodology and present insights to clients
• Take ownership of projects through the course of their lifecycle, outline action plans and process, and provide oversight to junior team members
• Demonstrate initiation and innovation to improve process and work product
• Manage the day-to-day capacity and resourcing of team members
• Drive team performance through an action-oriented approach to project management and execution and comfort asserting yourself as a critical firm-wide subject matter expert on research matters
• Cultivate firm-wide knowledge of research by conceptualizing educational and upskilling opportunities for staff at all levels, including training materials, templates, and workshops
• Champion thought leadership that showcases Avoq’s expertise to external audiences through the lens of timely issues
• Help to set the business strategy of the team, including how we track revenue, scope and price projects, and cross-sell insights products and services to enhance integration of research across the firm’s client base
• Assist in building a vision for the future of our team, how insights is shaping our industry, and have a voice in shaping the direction of the team

Requirements

YOUR EXPERIENCE

As a qualified candidate, you have 10+ years of work experience in all areas below:

• Quickly analyze complex client situations to understand trends and nuanced situations involving facets of news, social media, advertising, policy, and communications
• Communicate professionally — this role will include interfacing with internal teams and clients and explaining data in a clear and persuasive way
• Work independently on projects and share findings with colleagues
• Juggle multiple projects and deliver high-quality content under tight deadlines
• Manage and provide feedback to trainees on data-driven research
• Distill critical data points into research-driven narratives
• Possess strong time-management skills and meet simultaneous deadlines and manage multiple projects at once
• Bring creativity and new ideas to the table

As an exceptional candidate, you possess many of the following attributes:

• Relevant experience, education, or interest in data-driven research, advertising, journalism, communications, media, or language
• Experience and comfort conducting research using digital/social media analytics tools, and diverse data sets, including demographic, political, economic, and public policy
• Understanding of digital advertising, including how campaigns are developed, executed, and measured, as well as trends involving advertisers, publishers, and platforms
• Passionate and curious about policy, media, and business issues
• Prior experience working with public affairs firms, research or media planning agencies, public policy organizations, political campaigns, government, or communication agencies
• Excellent writing, editing, research, and presentation skills
• Superior organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail
• A proven track record of successfully completing multiple projects under tight deadlines
• Advanced PowerPoint skills
• Proficiency and comfortability with Excel functions (ex: pivot tables, conditional formatting, VLOOKUP, etc.)
• Familiarity with/willingness to learn analytics and business intelligence tools, such as Brandwatch, Newswhip, Google Data Studio, etc.

Benefits

Avōq prides itself on the kind of innovation that is only achieved through inclusive collaboration and equal opportunity.  Maintaining a diverse staff of first-class talent (including those from BIPOC, LGBTQ communities, and others from historically underrepresented groups), and conferring a sense of value and belonging on each team member is central to our mission as expert communicators and advocates. 

The salary range for this role is $122,000 - $180,000 (DOE, open to either Director or Senior Director)

We offer a uniquely rich benefits package to support our team’s quality of life outside of work that includes: 

·    100% Company-paid Medical, Dental and Vision insurance

·    Paid parental leave

·    401(k) contributions

·    Flexible, hybrid work arrangements

·    12 paid company holidays per year, up to 39 days individual paid time off 

·    Winter break: Offices close the last week of the year

Avōq also provides necessary assistance or modifications to the application process for prospective candidates. If you need support, please reach out to [email protected] and include your full name and the accommodation needed to assist you with the application process. Decisions to grant reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.