Director, Consumer Insights

As the company's strongest "voice of the customer", you will partner across the company to challenge existing strategies and practices and drive lasting evolution of our brand and customer experience, working closely with top executives across the company with regular exposure to our senior executives and CEO. This position provides a strategic leader, possessing strong analytical and management skills, the opportunity to play a key role in driving the strategy that will shape the future of a Fortune 500 retailer.

To be successful, the Director of Consumer Insights will need to have a deep understanding of consumer behavior, macro consumer trends, competitive dynamics, CarMax's competitive advantages and current customer experience. This role will be positioned to steer and influence high-functioning, cross-functional teams - and will need to leverage exceptional creativity, vision and communication to activate the organization.

What you will do - Essential Responsibilities

• Lead development of research agenda and allocation of $2M+ research budget in pursuit of brand, marketing, product and operational goals

o Lead planning sessions with Marketing, Operations and Product leadership to keep a constant view of business priorities and opportunities for insights influence

o Evolve research methodologies, measurement and reporting practices to create a consistent and shared understanding of consumers and the CarMax customer experience across the organization

o Lead an analyst team in research of opportunities to repair, enhance and innovate experiences central to delivering upon CarMax's brand vision and growth aspirations

o Prioritize focus customer segments and segment opportunities to drive business performance, brand performance and company growth

o Understand evolving consumer needs and preferences

o Establish our approach to prioritizing marketing messages and assessing creative content to deliver upon marketing goals

o Track current business performance to identify times when an immediate strategy change is needed

o Root cause brand and customer experience issues and work with Department heads and program teams to align priorities against customer opportunities

• Perform as a leader in the analyst community & strategic advisor in the organization

o Work closely with Marketing, Product and Operations leadership to set goals and priorities for brand and customer experience evolution and execution

o Lead planning sessions across program teams to help them understand and prioritize customer segments and opportunities to deliver upon our experience optimization and innovation goals

o Track progress against goals and lead the analytical evaluation of impact from various change efforts, guiding the evolution of plans as appropriate

o Provide strategic guidance across projects, including consideration of the overarching brand and customer experience

o Provide regular updates on our customers and customer experience to Sr leadership in a variety of settings

o Partner with analyst leaders across the company to improve analytic capabilities and leverage of data/insights across the organization

o Drive people development and engagement across the Consumer Insights team, broader Analytic community and department

Build and lead a world-class team that can support our bold strategic ambitions

o Lead a 6-7 FTE team

o Set culture, vision and teaming model for this group

o Conduct file reviews and performance reviews

o Support career progression and advancement for this group

o Develop strategy analysis and strategy leaders into well-rounded business problem solvers, strategic planners and leaders

Qualifications and Requirements

• Proficient with qualitative and quantitative primary research tools and techniques; experience with or in-depth knowledge of the following preferred:

- Survey methodology (conjoint, discrete-choice, cluster analysis)

- Qualitative Focus Group and Interview Design and Moderation

- Observational/Ethnographic research and diary studies

- Customer Segmentation

- Value prop and creative concept testing

- Statistical concepts including regression analysis, factoring, clustering, decision trees and A/B testing

• Track record of strong strategic thinking, thought leadership and analytical decision making

• Ability to identify emerging consumer and industry trends, and to proactively identify strategic opportunities from those emerging trends

• Excellent business acumen: the ability to see the bigger picture and the most relevant implications of an analysis or insight

• Experience influencing across a large organization at all levels

• Ability to influence, motivate and direct large, cross-functional teams that do not report directly into this position

• Build and maintain positive working relationships at varying levels

• Work productively with little supervision

• Detail-oriented and comfortable with a fast-paced, structured retail environment

• Proven track record of delivering results

• Proven ability to build & develop high performing teams with a reputation for strong analysis and decision making

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Passion for driving customer centricity in all of our decision making

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

o 10+ years of business experience in strategic analysis, consulting or consumer research

o Undergraduate degree in a business, quantitative, or engineering discipline with an excellent academic record. Master's Degree a plus.

o 5+ years experience managing direct reports

o Experience influencing across a large organization (ideally with a strong product organization)

o Experience working effectively with senior management

o Excellent analytical and organizational skills

o Mastery of written and verbal communication

o Experience managing highly analytical people and projects

o Mastery of Word, Excel, PowerPoint; SQL experience required

Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.