Director, Insight & Analytics
SHIFT is a client services business that focuses on implementing and activating technology and data to make sales and marketing work. Our people bring combined experience across technology, data & analytics, business strategy and campaign operations to accelerate our clients' businesses. We keep pace with change in modern marketing and technology in order to create both effective, scalable and future-proof solutions for our clients that span both the Fortune 500 list and emerging industry leaders. We have also built strong relationships with the world's most influential martech platforms and are key partners to them and their clients.
Overview
The Director of Insights & Analytics plays a pivotal role in leading a team of analytics and research professionals within SH/FT to unlock the full potential of data investments for our clients. This role is responsible for identifying opportunities to leverage first-party, research, and syndicated data, combined with advanced analytics, to enhance marketing performance and customer understanding across the entire marketing lifecycle. You will partner with clients and internal teams to deliver strategic insights, actionable recommendations, and measurable results, while also pushing the boundaries on how we deliver to elevate our competitive differentiation.
This is a dynamic player-coach position that blends strategic team leadership with hands-on client deliverables. If you thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and excel at turning data into impact, this role is for you.
Responsibilities
Client Engagements & Advisory
- Act as a consultative partner and hands-on executor, working with clients and internal teams to:
- Formulating hypotheses, analyzing data, and developing actionable recommendations.
- Defining solutions and developing requirements.
- Synthesizing diverse data sources (e.g., demographic trends, third-party research) to deliver insights aligned with client marketing goals.
- Leading projects such as:
- Data assessments and strategic roadmaps
- Transforming data sets into actionable insights
- Designing and developing dashboards and reporting solutions using BI/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
- Defining segmentation strategy
- Developing customer lifetime value, ideal customer profile and Total Addressable Market models
- Perform competitive and market research analysis:
- Design and oversee primary research studies, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to uncover customer insights and emerging market trends.
- Analyze syndicated data (e.g., Nielsen, Kantar, Mintel) and third-party tools (e.g., Census, Pew Research) to provide competitive benchmarking, market trend analysis, and customer profiling.
- Translate market research findings into strategic recommendations, integrating them with data analytics to develop comprehensive marketing insights.
- Lead Predictive Analytics engagements:
- Lead the design, development, and validation of predictive models (e.g., regression analysis, clustering, propensity models, time series forecasting) to drive customer insights and inform marketing strategies.
- Develop actionable recommendations by integrating predictive analytics with first-party, third-party, and research data sources, ensuring insights align with client goals.
- Provide strategic advisory:
- Identifying innovative solutions for complex business challenges.
- Advising on AI-driven tools to enhance marketing analytics and decision-making.
- Ensure exceptional client engagement:
- Communicating insights clearly and compellingly, making them actionable and impactful.
- Delivering high-quality project outputs, including defining deliverables, timelines, and milestones in collaboration with Client Success and Project Managers.
- Maintaining strong client relationships through proactive strategic recommendations and consistent delivery of high-quality work.
Team Leadership and Maturity
- Oversee the performance, utilization, and professional growth of a high-performing analytics team.
- Provide actionable feedback to improve team competencies and consulting effectiveness.
- Establish and refine department methodologies, frameworks, processes, and training programs.
- Guide the team on deliverable quality, industry trends, and best practices.
- Define how the team leverages AI and machine learning techniques to accelerate or enhance analysis and processes.
- Collaborates with leadership to continuously optimize and expand team services, ensuring competitive differentiation, particularly in defining how the team leverages AI solutions.
- Acts as a subject matter expert (SME) in business development efforts, including:
- Participating in sales calls.
- Supporting proposal and RFP preparation.
- Delivering presentations to secure new client engagements.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Deep technical background with BA/BS in Analytics, Engineering, Statistics, Finance, Economics, Information Management, Social Science, or Business/Marketing related fields (Masters or higher preferred)
- At least 10 years of experience in Analytics, with 7+ years Marketing Analytics preferred
- 1+ years in a consulting environment
Technical Expertise
- Proficiency in statistical packages, data manipulation, and open-source tools such as SQL, Python, SAS, or R.
- Experience with data warehouses, ETL processes, and data lake development.
- Strong understanding of relational databases and Marketing Technology (e.g., ESPs, CDPs) and their data outputs.
- Advanced knowledge of BI/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Looker).
- Familiarity with the role of AI and machine learning in data analysis and decision-making
Skills and Competencies
- Possesses a strong quantitative mindset.
- Demonstrated ability to advise marketing and sales leadership.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to zoom in on details while maintaining focus on overarching goals.
- Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously with high attention to detail.
- Strong understanding of marketing and sales metrics, reporting, and analytics.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Collaborative mindset with a passion for building relationships across cross-functional teams.
Leadership Attributes
- Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop team members.
- Self-driven, independent thinker with a passion for continuous learning and team success.
- Commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, growth, and high performance.
- Ability to deliver constructive feedback and mentor team members effectively.