This role may sit anywhere in the U.S. and Canada as long as the individual is willing to work East Coast hours.

Realize the unimagined

Fantasy is a digital product and innovation company. We realize the unimagined for the world’s most ambitious organizations. Founded in 1999, our global reputation is based on our teams’ unique ability to think beyond the ordinary and launch ground-breaking products and services. We believe that our phenomenal team is the core reason for our success, our growth, and our thriving culture.

The Role

As the Group Director of Research and Insights, you’ll think beyond the ordinary and help develop the insights, understanding, and empathy required to ship world-class products that millions of people not only use but love.

In this role, you will lead Fantasy’s global Research and Insights discipline and will define company-wide strategies and methodologies for user research, data science, and analytics. With the support of the Research and Insights team, you will manage extensive client relationships and projects with world-class organizations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

You will advise and collaborate with the best minds at the world’s most forward-thinking companies, including the likes of Netflix, Nike, Spotify, Asana, Tesla, Microsoft, Dolby, Ancestry, Salesforce, and others. You’ll work across diverse industries and varying form factors, including automotive, luxury, travel, operating systems, website ecosystems, voice recognition software, artificial intelligence, and more.

You will collaborate closely with internal teams, including User Experience, Design, Content Strategy, and Production. These teams will rely on your leadership, insights, and experience to integrate various research and data inputs and translate them into strategic opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the global Research and Insights discipline and a team of user researchers, data scientists, and analysts. 
• Translate client briefs and goals into actionable Research and Insights project plans and scopes, defining the best research strategies and methodologies to meet clients’ needs.
• Drive innovation by integrating cutting-edge practices and breakthroughs in the field, with an emphasis on AI-powered research and analysis methods.
• Facilitate workshops, transforming their results into strategic insights and actionable opportunities.
• Engage in client presentations and discussions, effectively communicating the value and impact of research insights.
• Advocate for user-centered design principles and data-driven decision-making processes throughout the agency.
• Conduct regular team reviews and feedback sessions, promoting a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
• Cultivate a team environment rooted in collaboration and perpetual growth within the Research and Insights department.
• Offer regular guidance and support to a diverse team, from junior members to directors, ensuring their ongoing professional development.
• Champion compelling storytelling by refining team outputs and narrative techniques and using clear and inspiring visual design.
• Motivate the team to break new ground in their outputs, creating influential and inspiring results for our clients.
• Achieve internal benchmarks for growth, innovation, and client satisfaction.
• Guarantee the excellence of client materials by overseeing the production and preparation of client deliverables.
• Build and nurture productive cross-departmental partnerships.
• Propel the agency forward by meeting targets in innovation, growth, and technology integration.

Experience / Key Personal Qualities

• Bring a rich history of 10+ years of leadership in User Research or Consumer Insights, preferably in an agency environment.
• Possess deep expertise in User Research, with a preference for employing mixed-method approaches.
• Excel at distilling, interpreting, and visualizing data in ways that inspire decisive action.
• Have a knack for demystifying complex topics, making them accessible to clients and colleagues of all skill levels and backgrounds.
• Show a clear understanding of mixed method qualitative and quantitative methodologies, knowing just when to use each.
• Have a proven track record of thought leadership and innovation within your practice.
• Be a trailblazer with a gift for dreaming up new services or products that clients can't get enough of.
• Demonstrated experience in building and growing teams from the ground up.
• Confident in client-facing situations, adept at pitching ideas, and securing buy-in from stakeholders of all stripes.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills with the ability to gracefully and diplomatically navigate nuanced conversations.
• Passion for mentoring others and sharing knowledge generously within the community through workshops, articles, or speaking engagements.
• Experience in AI-powered research and analysis methods is a plus.

Fantasy EOE

Fantasy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Since 1999, diversity has been vital to our success and ability to create products and services used and loved by millions of people all over the world. We are committed to continually fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.