Director, Head of Research and Insights @ well-known, HR Tech Series E helping SMBs  

Location: Hybrid onsite 3x/week in lower NYC with sweeping views

Comp: $210-231K base + strong equity package + world-class benefits

*note: if you're above this, do NOT let money be a stopper; can potentially flex for the right candidate

Overview:

Chances are, if you've worked for a startup or other established small-to-medium-sized business, you're probably already highly familiar with our client!

They're a late-stage (Series E) HR Tech company in an exciting stage of pre-IPO growth, and with great name recognition in the tech space. They provide SMBs, including many in the tech industry, high-quality and enterprise-level health insurance and payroll tools that smaller businesses and their employees wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

They have an incredible culture, rooted in honesty, openness, integrity, friendliness, no-ego, and inclusion. “Collaboration” isn’t just a word on a cheesy poster in their hallways, but rather, it’s the way they exist at their core. It’s truly a dreamy place to work, and this is a golden opportunity to lead their Research + Insights function - and by extension, help chart a course for the entire company - at a very high level.

Their street cred:

Fortune magazine named them to their Best Workplaces in New York list 5 times, and they’re also on BuiltIn’s list of “NYC Best Large Companies to Work For".

They’ve been around for 10+ years and are an important player in the $40B HR Tech industry. They’re secured $160M in funding from top VCs including Bain, Thrive, Union Square Ventures, and they grow through acquisitions as well as organic growth.

Their star is rapidly rising; it’s a great time to get in the door! They recently expanded into global markets and have grown consistently and intelligently year over year. They’re currently at 1300 total employees, with 30+ Designers and 4 members in their Research + Insights team, doubling their Product org in the last 2 years. They’re now adding a full suite of products to their already well-known core product, so they’re in a great place for continued growth and visibility!

The Role:

This is a brand new, super high-visibility, high-impact Research & Insights leadership role with major support from the executive levels. You’ll be leading and charting a course for the entire Research discipline, overseeing a team of 4 Researchers including an excellent Manager, and evangelizing Research across the company (which already feels warmly about Research), and working with other high-visibility stakeholders across many different disciplines to drive initiatives from the top.

You have extensive expertise in UX Research, as well as knowledge of various areas of Research which may include Consumer Insights / Market Research / Corporate Strategy Research / Voice of Customer.

You have managed research teams of 7-10 people, with a layer of Managers in the mix. You are a leader through and through!

You have a strong sense of the ins and outs of Research, but this is not a largely hands-on research role, nor is it a “player-coach” situation, though you know how to jump in and help out if needed. This role is for a visionary leader with executive presence who has experience collaborating, creating connections, building and uplevelling Research teams, and helping to chart a company North Star at the highest levels of the business. You and your team's efforts will be a major part of the company's overall growth; it's an exciting and high-visibility place to be.

You’ve already been operating at a Director level or equivalent for at least a few years. This isn’t a role for someone looking to stretch up into Director; they need someone highly seasoned with a longstanding, proven track record of leadership, who can come in and start creating value right away.

You are a compassionate and supportive people manager who inspires Research teams to do their best work, and you have created and grown a Research discipline within an org, preferably at a company in the 1-5K total employees size.

An excellent communicator and enthusiastic collaborator, you work well with team members, external partners, and senior management. You’re a fabulous storyteller, and use use communication and presentation skills to engage, inspire and influence.

You’ll ultimately report into their longstanding, well-respected leader on the Strategy and Corporate Development team, and will temporarily report into their recently hired, first-ever VP of Design (a great signal for how much they value UX!), who we’ve known for years and ADORE. We can attest that he’s a total dream, and is savvy overseeing Research.

What You Will Work On

• Define, oversee and scale the centralized Research & Insights function, which includes research for Product, Design, Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Voice of the Customer, and Customer Support functions
• Identify, along with your team, opportunities for us to innovate and better support small businesses. Influence our vision and strategy, inform new growth opportunities, and enhance customer satisfaction through insights and expertise that you and your team provide. 
• Act as a trusted advisor to the business’s executive leadership team and relevant stakeholders during strategy formulation, development, and execution
• Shape the Research practice across disciplines, guiding our approach to research systems and operations that support our scaling, global, multi-product organization
• Advocate for Research and support a culture of high-quality research across the organization
• Mentor researchers and foster a culture of continuous learning and high performance across the team
• Experience leading international research preferred

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7-10 years experience working in a leadership role in Research and Insights and/or UX Research - a good deal of UX Research expertise is required in the mix, along with expertise overseeing Consumer Insights / Market Research / Corporate Strategy Research.
• Experience managing and growing teams of 7-10 Researchers, and you have experience managing Managers
•  You’ll inherit a team of 4, including one Manager, and will be poised to grow your team, depending on the success of your work and influence
• Built and/or scaled Research functions, including setting strategy, developing operational structures, and building practice culture 
• Deep experience influencing company-wide strategy and innovation using research and insights
• Experience interacting with and influencing senior leadership through an informed point of view; you have strong executive presence and have collaborated with peers at the Director, VP, and potentially SVP levels.
• Experience working with other data disciplines such as Data Science and Business Intelligence is preferred
• Must be a passionate team-builder who can work well with multi-functional teams, be a strategic and creative thinker, have a positive can-do attitude, and thrive in a constantly evolving environment
• Superb analytical skills and communication skills, with an aptitude for data-driven storytelling

Comp:

$210-231K base + meaningful equity + great benefits

note: if this isn't in your range, please do still apply / get in touch with your salary requirements

Benefits:

World-class health insurance, unlimited PTO, a dog-friendly office, 16-week parental leave, full or partial coverage for Citibike / Talkspace / Headspace / Peloton / Classpass memberships, ERG groups, continued learning resources, fitness discounts, wellness room, and more.

TO APPLY:

Apply online here, or email us at team@joanneweavergroup.com with your resume, portfolio, current location, and desired comp range. We'll get back to you if this feels like it could be a good fit for you!

Know someone great for this?

We give up to a $1,000 referral bonus for the longterm placement of your peeps - and lots of thanks!

Please send us your intros or ideas to us at the email above!