Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Marketing & Communications

Level 4476 of 1200 points

Job description

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Job purpose

To research market conditions and consumer opinion, analyse the resulting data on demand, competitors and campaign effectiveness, and translate the findings into recommendations on promotion, distribution, design and pricing, so that management can judge the organisation's position in the marketplace and direct marketing effort effectively.

Skills

Specialist command of market research and marketing method — survey, opinion poll and questionnaire design, sampling and data collection procedure, satisfaction measurement, trend forecasting and competitor analysis — combined with applied mathematics and statistics and a strong command of written English for reporting. Supported by knowledge of marketing strategy and tactics, customer needs assessment, the sociology and psychology bearing on consumer behaviour, economics and financial reporting, and the applications used to hold and process research data. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with a substantial minority holding a master's, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Interprets and explains what the data means and how it can be used, translating complex findings into written text and graphical illustration for audiences who are not analysts. Attends staff conferences to put proposals on promotion, distribution, design and pricing to management, and works persuasively where a recommendation runs against expectation. Collaborates with marketing professionals, statisticians and pollsters, contacts customers and the public to obtain information, and directs trained survey interviewers.
Analytical work of substance: identifying the factors affecting product demand from data on customer demographics, preferences, needs and buying habits; devising and evaluating the methods by which data is collected, or arranging to obtain existing data; measuring the effect of marketing, advertising and communications activity; forecasting sales trends; and assessing competitors' prices, sales and methods of distribution. Method is professional rather than prescribed, and conclusions must be defended on the strength of the evidence behind them.
Sets research objectives and sequences studies from instrument design through fieldwork to reporting, and develops procedures for identifying advertising needs. Determines own tasks and priorities, monitors industry statistics and trade literature continuously, and works to firm time pressure against reporting and campaign dates.
Desk and screen work throughout, using statistical and presentation applications. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

No line management, though directs trained survey interviewers and coordinates others in carrying out studies, with a stake in the quality of the fieldwork they produce. Coaches colleagues in research method and advises management as an internal specialist.
No budget held. Monitors the resources committed to research studies and estimates the time, cost and materials a study will need. Recommendations on pricing, promotion and distribution influence revenue and marketing spend well beyond the value of anything directly authorised.
Ordinary care of a workstation, of statistical and analytical software, and of the survey instruments and data holdings maintained.
Owns the organisation's market intelligence: research datasets on customers, competitors and satisfaction; forecasts and trend analyses; and the reports issued from them, whose content and structure are largely determined in the role. Accuracy is critical, because commercial decisions on pricing, product design and campaign investment are taken on this evidence.

Effort required

Sustained analytical concentration on detailed data, where exactness matters and a defect in method or coding invalidates a conclusion, alternating with the demand of composing findings for a non-specialist reader. Decisions are taken regularly under time pressure, in a heavy volume of e-mail, telephone and face-to-face contact.
Personal accountability for conclusions on which commercial decisions rest, and for defending them when they are contested on their merits. Competition between organisations is a live consideration, and findings on customer and employee satisfaction have to be reported as they stand.
Predominantly seated at a desk for extended periods. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office work, with no hazardous conditions or exposures recorded. Contact is heavy and includes external customers and the public in the course of research; the demand is intellectual rather than emotionally taxing, with no exposure to conflict or hostility recorded.
Most incumbents work more than a standard week, and around two-thirds are on a regular established schedule, with a third on irregular patterns following study and campaign demands. Considerable freedom to make decisions and determine own tasks, priorities and goals, with decisions taken regularly under time pressure that bear on colleagues and company results.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 142 points▾

PeopleLevel 1 of 5
29 of 144 points
Very limited. Not required to supervise or perform a caregiving role. The job may involve providing basic guidance to or orientation for others, such as helping new colleagues settle in.
Goods and equipmentLevel 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Limited responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the care and proper use of low-value tools or materials, with minimal responsibility for their maintenance or security.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling limited financial resources, such as managing small budgets, processing invoices or participating in financial planning discussions.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.