Job Description:

Are you ready for an exceptional leadership opportunity? As the Director of Innovation and Insights at Ai Palette, you will lead our innovation and insights strategies within the Food & Beverages and Beauty & Personal Care  domain. This role is based in Bangalore, and we are looking for a hands-on expert with 9-12 years of industry experience.

You will have a track record of promoting client dialogue through expert storytelling and forward-thinking implications for the Food & Beverage and Beauty & Personal Care Categories such as Snacks, Beverages, RTE, RTD, Plant Based, Skin Care, Hair Care, Baby Care etc and can show the ability / experience to be Ai Palette's  thought leader for the CPG industry  in Asia/Europe/America.

Key Responsibilities:

Innovation Strategy: Develop innovation roadmap for clients grounded in emerging consumer behaviors, driving brand strategies and identifying global opportunities. Map out the innovation pipeline, identifying whitespace opportunities rooted in emerging consumer trends.

Transversal Research: Lead qualitative and quantitative research that transcends brands, including cross-category studies and global insights projects.

Quantitative Expertise: Apply your quantitative expertise to design and execute research, utilizing methodologies such as AI led insights, consumer surveys, statistical analysis, and data-driven insights.

Qualitative Expertise: Leverage your qualitative skills for in-depth consumer understanding in specific categories

Consumer Understanding: Maintain in-depth insights into consumers across generations and regions, focusing on Gen Z/Gen Alpha, marketplace trends, and global insights.

Strategic Initiatives: Manage strategic initiative studies related to consumer omnichannel behaviors, shopper insights, ESG connections, and more.

Consumer Segmentation: Own and update consumer segmentation frameworks across categories and brands.

Social Listening: Develop and enhance social listening capabilities to monitor brand engagement and heatmap across client brands and their competitors

Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams inside Ai Palette (sales to marketing to key accounts to product) to leverage consumer insights into development and activation initiatives.

Team Handling: Lead and manage a team of analysts, providing coaching and development to ensure high-quality insights production

Qualifications:

Experience: 9-12 years of hands-on experience leading Consumer Insights/Market Research functions, with expertise in research methodologies and consumer behavior.

Research Expertise: Proficiency in various research methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative. Strong analytical skills, with experience in tools like TURF, MaxDiff, Conjoint, etc.Comfortable with big-data sets. 

Digital and Social Listening: Familiarity with digital analytics, social listening, and futurist/innovation projects/activities.

Leadership: Proven leadership experience and effective people management skills.

Adaptability: Ability to thrive in an evolving and dynamic environment or a start-up

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate and influence at the executive level.

Education: A Master's degree in business, consumer research or statistics. A bachelor’s degree is acceptable with the right years of relevant experience having worked for 3rd party insights firms like Nielsen, Mintel, Euromonitor, Markets & Markets, EY, KPMG etc or with the consumer insights department of leading CPG companies.