Consumer Intelligence & Research Specialist

Description

This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to the Oshawa or Markham Elevation Centre at least three times per week.

This posting is not for an existing vacancy within the organization and is open to new applications. (New Head Count)

The Manager, Consumer Intelligence & Research is a senior researcher responsible for delivering the consumer, competitive, market, and dealer understanding that powers GM Canada's brand, media, and retail strategies.

Reporting directly to the Head of Marketing Applied Science & Intelligence, you will work in close partnership with the Consumer Intelligence & Strategy Lead to shape how GM Canada learns, tests, and acts on consumer and market intelligence.

This role owns GM Canada's syndicated research ecosystem (S&P Global Mobility, JD Power, YouGov, competitive intelligence platforms, proprietary research tools, survey panel providers, etc.) and leads primary research programs including creative testing, retail message testing, brand studies, and EV/ICE journey research.

You will bring methodological rigor, strong analytical capability, and a modern, AI-enabled approach to insight generation.

You will collaborate closely with Brand Managers, Media Strategy & Activation, the Media Analytics team, CX, Retail, Sales, and Global Analytics to ensure research findings translate into clear, actionable recommendations that drive brand growth, EV adoption, dealer performance, and retail conversion.

This is a senior individual contributor role with significant influence, but no direct people management.

Key Responsibilities:

Insight Leadership & Strategic Partnership

• Act as a senior research advisor to key stakeholders.
• Participate in strategic discussions and planning cycles, ensuring research insights shape brand, media, and retail decisions.
• Bring forward clear, evidence-based perspectives on consumer behaviour, perception, creative resonance, competitive dynamics, and category trends.
• Support leadership-level readouts with sharp, concise narratives grounded in data.

• Lead GM Canada's syndicated research portfolio, including S&P Global Mobility, JD Power, Media Radar, YouGov, competitive intelligence tools, and a variety of other consumer, retail, and market data sources.
• Integrate syndicated insights with primary research, digital analytics, and retail KPIs to create a unified view of consumer and market performance.
• Conduct cross-tab manipulation, root-cause analysis, funnel analysis, audience sizing, and segmentation-aligned reporting.
• Identify gaps in understanding and recommend new tools, methodologies, or data sources.

• Lead end-to-end research programs including brand studies, creative and asset testing, retail message testing, segmentation inputs, and EV/ICE journey research.
• Develop questionnaires, sampling plans, and analysis frameworks that meet GM's methodological standards.
• Manage research vendors and panel providers to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Ensure all research adheres to GM's privacy, legal, and data-handling requirements.

• Analyze survey data, syndicated sources, competitive intelligence, and retail performance to uncover meaningful insights.
• Translate complex data into clear, compelling stories that influence non-technical audiences.
• Embed insights into brand briefs, media briefs, creative development, and retail program design.
• Partner with the Consumer Intelligence & Strategy Lead to prepare leadership-level narratives and recommendations.

• Work closely with the Media Analytics team and Applied Science & Intelligence to connect research outputs with marketing mix modeling, forecasting, simulations, and media and retail performance reporting.
• Contribute to unified measurement frameworks that link brand health, demand spaces, media performance, and retail outcomes.

• Champion the use of AI-enabled tools for text analytics, coding, data processing, and insight generation.
• Identify opportunities to automate trackers, reporting, and data integration workflows.
• Pilot new methodologies and technologies that improve speed, cost, and decision quality.

• Maintain research documentation, templates, and playbooks to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Support a "test, learn, scale" culture by documenting learnings and codifying best practices.
• Help raise insight literacy across marketing, media, CX, and retail teams.
• Operate effectively in a matrixed, multi-brand environment, aligning diverse stakeholders around insight-driven recommendations.

• 6-10+ years in consumer insights, marketing research, or analytics (client-side or agency).
• Deep experience with quantitative research methods (trackers, brand studies, creative testing, segmentation inputs).
• Strong proficiency with SPSS, advanced Excel (Power Query, pivot tables, complex formulas), and other tools in the consumer and market research space.
• Hands-on experience with cross-tab manipulation, root-cause analysis, funnel analysis, audience sizing, and segmentation frameworks.
• Ability to synthesize multiple data sources (syndicated, survey, digital, retail) into a coherent narrative.
• Experience managing vendors, budgets, and complex research programs.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Statistics, Psychology, Economics, or related field.

• Experience with S&P Global Mobility, JD Power, YouGov, or similar syndicated platforms.
• Familiarity with survey design, conjoint, MaxDiff, segmentation, factor analysis, or cluster analysis.
• Exposure to marketing mix modeling, attribution, or media effectiveness frameworks.
• Experience with dashboarding tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio).
• Comfort working with digital analytics, retail KPIs, or CX data.
• Experience applying AI tools to research workflows.

• High-quality research delivered on time with clear, actionable insights.
• Insight contributions reflected in brand plans, media briefs, and retail programs.
• Strong partnership with the Consumer Intelligence & Strategy Lead and cross-functional teams.
• Increased efficiency through automation and modernization of research processes.
• Growing trust from stakeholders who proactively seek your input.

• Analytical, detail-oriented, and methodologically rigorous.
• Curious and proactive, constantly seeking deeper understanding.
• Clear communicator who simplifies complexity.
• Collaborative, low-ego, and comfortable working in a matrixed environment.
• Organized and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excited about the role of AI in transforming research.

• Paid time off including vacation days, holidays, and supplemental benefits for pregnancy, parental and adoption leave.
• Healthcare, dental and vision benefits including health care spending account and wellness incentive.
• Life insurance plans to cover you and your family.
• Company and matching contributions to a Defined Contribution Pension plan to help you save for retirement.
• GM Vehicle Purchase Plan for you, your family, and friends.