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What does a director, market research do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A director of market research oversees and directs the market research programs of a company. They must set goals and timelines, establish budgets and strategies, liaise with internal and external parties, and develop market research plans according to company objectives and standards. They may also participate in recruiting researchers and other experts, conducting market research and interviews, identifying key participants, and reviewing findings. Moreover, they lead staff in the joint effort to reach program goals, all while implementing company policies and regulations.

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Director, market research responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real director, market research resumes:

  • Manage and balance annual syndicate research budget, including MRI, Nielsen, SRDS vendors.
  • Lead social path-to-purchase study, incorporating social media analytics into insight community to identify spectrum of social engagement among customers.
  • Network with fellow students and discuss events in the macro and micro environment.
  • Research property utilizing GIS and local government offices to locate ownership, property records, and tax information.
  • Conduct interviews with technology leaders, financial heads and other managers of major healthcare organizations regarding administrative and information technology issues.
  • Create budgetary protocol and project proposals that are successfully implement by Bloomberg.

Director, market research skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Directors, Market Research are proficient in Market Research, Data Analysis, and Competitive Intelligence. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Directors, Market Research that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Market Research, 12%

    Provided graphic and artistic support for the production department and provided Internet and Market Research using various qualitative and quantitative methods.

  • Data Analysis, 8%

    Designed research methodology, questionnaires, conducted data analysis, created insights reports, and presented findings and recommendations.

  • Competitive Intelligence, 7%

    Provided complete Market insight including Primary Research (Qualitative and Quantitative), Secondary Sources and Competitive Intelligence.

  • Project Management, 7%

    Led the full project cycle for energy and banking models including planning, project management, model development, and testing.

  • Primary Research, 7%

    Derived data from multiple online databases and primary research to establish performance analytics.

  • Market Research Studies, 4%

    Coordinated primary market research studies for multiple geographic markets.

"market research," "data analysis," and "competitive intelligence" are among the most common skills that directors, market research use at work. You can find even more director, market research responsibilities below, including:

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a director, market research to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "market research analysts must pay attention to minutiae to evaluate data." Additionally, a director, market research resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "published market intelligence detailing the current state and progress of the leveraged loan market. "

Analytical skills. Many director, market research duties rely on analytical skills. "market research analysts must evaluate large amounts of data and information related to market conditions.," so a director, market research will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director, market research responsibilities rely on analytical skills: "developed and executed strategic market analysis to assess acceptance of new diabetes monitoring products and services across global markets. "

Communication skills. This is an important skill for directors, market research to perform their duties. For an example of how director, market research responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "market research analysts must be able to clearly convey information when gathering material, interpreting data, and presenting results to clients." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director, market research: "supported product and marketing communications groups with primary research. ".

See the full list of director, market research skills

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Compare different directors, market research

Director, market research vs. Product specialist

A product specialist is required to have excellent knowledge about a product and work with a business unit to ensure excellent product delivery. Product specialists perform product demonstrations to customers and other stakeholders and assist in their promotions and product releases. To gain increased revenue, product specialists must be able to identify new market opportunities. They are required to conduct product and sales training for the marketing team. They must also provide reports about their product-related activities to the management.

If we compare the average director, market research annual salary with that of a product specialist, we find that product specialists typically earn a $27,023 lower salary than directors, market research make annually.Even though directors, market research and product specialists are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require market research, project management, and market trends in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director, market research are more likely to require skills like "data analysis," "competitive intelligence," "primary research," and "pharmaceutical industry." On the other hand, a job as a product specialist requires skills like "customer service," "product knowledge," "sales floor," and "patients." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Product specialists earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $92,638. On the other hand, directors, market research are paid more in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $105,248.product specialists tend to reach lower levels of education than directors, market research. In fact, product specialists are 17.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Director, market research vs. Research internship

A research intern is responsible for assisting the research team with conducting an investigation, compiling information, and analyzing results for an organized research study. Research interns' duties also include understanding the work processes and operation procedures, sharing strategies and recommendations on research methods, reaching out to appropriate research correspondents, managing clients' inquiries and concerns, keeping important client records for reference, studying current market trends, and maintaining the eagerness to learn. A research intern must have strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills to perform on daily research tasks.

On average, research interns earn a $73,382 lower salary than directors, market research a year.A few skills overlap for directors, market research and research interns. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "market research," "data analysis," and "research findings. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director, market research responsibilities requires skills like "competitive intelligence," "project management," "primary research," and "pharmaceutical industry." But a research internship might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "python," "c++," "research intern," and "java."

On average, research interns earn a lower salary than directors, market research. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, research interns earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $52,879. Whereas directors, market research have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $105,248.research interns earn lower levels of education than directors, market research in general. They're 10.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director, market research vs. Marketing associate

A marketing associate's responsibility is to perform comprehensive market research to identify the latest trends that would provide opportunities to improve the business' marketing strategies. A marketing associate's duties also include creating sales reports and advertising materials, coordinating with the sales team for promotional events, assists with the planning and execution of marketing strategies, evaluating customer satisfaction, and handling administrative tasks as needed. Marketing associates must also have excellent communication skills to help in managing client inquiries and resolve complaints immediately.

On average, marketing associates earn lower salaries than directors, market research, with a $59,797 difference per year.By looking over several directors, market research and marketing associates resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "market research," "project management," and "brand marketing." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director, market research resumes include skills like "data analysis," "competitive intelligence," "primary research," and "pharmaceutical industry," whereas a marketing associate is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "powerpoint," "marketing campaigns," and "email marketing. "

Marketing associates earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $56,474. Directors, market research earn the highest pay from the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $105,248.When it comes to education, marketing associates tend to earn lower degree levels compared to directors, market research. In fact, they're 16.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Director, market research vs. Research specialist

In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.

Research specialists average a lower salary than the annual salary of directors, market research. The difference is about $60,293 per year.While both directors, market research and research specialists complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like market research, data analysis, and research findings, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "competitive intelligence," "project management," "primary research," and "pharmaceutical industry" are skills that commonly show up on director, market research resumes. On the other hand, research specialists use skills like patients, research projects, molecular biology, and cell culture on their resumes.The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for research specialists, with average annual pay of $75,769. Comparatively, the highest director, market research annual salary comes from the hospitality industry.research specialists reach lower levels of education compared to directors, market research, in general. The difference is that they're 8.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of director, market research

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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