JOB DESCRIPTION
Director, User & Market Insights
Reports To: Vice President, Strategy & Execution (Insights & Category Management)
Location: Vernon Hills, IL
Travel: Up to 15-20%
Position Summary
Rust-Oleum is seeking a strategic, business-focused leader to serve as Director, User & Market Insights.
This role will lead the development and execution of insight strategies that drive profitable growth across multiple product platforms, brands, channels, and customer segments.
The Director will champion the voice of the user, shopper, and market across the organization, translating qualitative and quantitative research into actionable business recommendations that inform innovation, portfolio strategy, pricing, brand development, commercialization, and go-to-market decisions.
As a key member of the Strategy & Execution organization, this leader will build an insights-driven culture by partnering closely with Product Management, Marketing, Sales, R&D, Finance, Category Management, and Executive Leadership to identify growth opportunities and influence strategic decisions.
The ideal candidate combines strong research expertise, business acumen, exceptional storytelling ability, and proven experience leading teams that transform data into competitive advantage.
Key Responsibilities
Insights Leadership & Strategy
Develop and lead the enterprise research agenda aligned with business growth priorities and platform strategies.
Establish a fact-based understanding of users, shoppers, category dynamics, competitive activity, and emerging trends.
Lead the identification of critical business questions and knowledge gaps requiring research and analysis.
Ensure insights activities directly support innovation, brand growth, pricing strategy, commercialization, demand generation, and customer engagement.
Create a long-term roadmap that prioritizes research investments based on business impact and growth opportunities.
Research & Analytics
Provide oversight for all qualitative and quantitative research initiatives.
Determine appropriate methodologies and research designs to address strategic business questions.
Lead advanced research programs including:
Segmentation
Concept and innovation testing
Packaging evaluation
Shopper journey research
Brand health tracking
Price elasticity studies
Customer and user experience studies
Competitive benchmarking
Integrate insights from internal data, syndicated sources, custom research, and secondary intelligence to create holistic business recommendations.
Ensure research quality, methodological rigor, and actionable deliverables.
Business Partnership & Strategy
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership and functional teams.
Translate complex consumer, shopper, and market information into clear business implications.
Develop executive-ready insights stories that influence organizational priorities and investment decisions.
Lead quarterly insights reviews and strategic learning sessions across business platforms.
Advocate for the end-user and shopper perspective in innovation, portfolio planning, and commercialization discussions.
Team Leadership
Recruit, develop, coach, and mentor a high-performing insights team.
Create clear development plans and learning opportunities for team members.
Establish best practices, processes, and governance for research execution and knowledge management.
Foster a culture of curiosity, continuous learning, strategic thinking, and business impact.
Manage workload prioritization, resource allocation, and vendor partnerships.
[ Vendor & Knowledge Management
Lead strategic relationships with research suppliers and analytics partners.
Evaluate and onboard research vendors to ensure access to best-in-class capabilities.
Optimize research spending and ensure efficient use of budget.
Build and maintain a centralized insights repository that enables access to historical learning and accelerates decision-making across the organization.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Consumer Insights, Market Research, Analytics, Statistics, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, or related field.
8+ years of progressive experience in market research, consumer insights, shopper insights, customer analytics, or related disciplines.
3+ years of people leadership experience.
Expertise designing and interpreting both qualitative and quantitative research.
Experience managing external research agencies and vendor partnerships.
Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
Exceptional presentation and storytelling capabilities.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize multiple data sources into actionable business recommendations.
Preferred
Consumer Packaged Goods experience.
Home Improvement, Hardware, Paint, Building Materials, or Cleaning category experience.
Familiarity with innovation research, pricing research, and category management applications.
Experience using modern insight platforms and advanced analytics tools.
Leadership Competencies
Strategic Mindset
Anticipates future market opportunities and translates insights into growth strategies.
Business Acumen
Understands commercial drivers, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and profitability levers.
Influence & Communication
Creates compelling narratives that drive action and organizational alignment.
Learning Agility
Embraces new approaches, methodologies, technologies, and changing business conditions.
Talent Development
Builds and develops high-performing teams through coaching and mentorship.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborates effectively across Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Category Management, Finance, and R&D.
Accountability
Delivers measurable business outcomes through disciplined execution and prioritization.
Salary Target Range: $140,000 - $160,000, bonus eligible
From big benefits to small, we take care of our associates! After 30 days of employment, you will be eligible for a benefits package that includes medical, dental, life, disability and business travel insurance, flexible spending accounts, EAP, stock purchases and vacation/sick days/parental leave.
We also offer a 401(k) plan after three months of employment.
Rust-Oleum offers 9.5 paid holidays and one floating holiday per year.
You are also eligible to earn three weeks of vacation on an annualized basis.
Rust-Oleum is an equal opportunity employer.
Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.Apply for this ad Online! ....Read more...
Type: Permanent Location: Vernon Hills, Illinois
Posted: 2026-09-06 23:12:04
Circa £32k + £3k Sales Bonuses, Well Established Blue Chip Company, Permanent RoleWe are seeking a motivated and customer-focused Parts Advisor to join a busy automotive parts operation in Cambridge.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced parts sales advisor, or mechanic who is looking to step away from the tools.The Role As a Parts Advisor, you will be responsible for identifying and supplying the correct vehicle parts, maximising sales opportunities, and providing exceptional support to both trade and retail customers.
You will work closely with colleagues to achieve sales objectives while maintaining high standards of customer service and operational efficiency.
This role will mainly be focused on ‘warm' sales, however occasional outreach to potential new customersKey Responsibilities
Accurately identify and supply vehicle parts that meet customer requirements.
Maximise sales by promoting products, special offers, and identifying upselling opportunities.
Maintain up-to-date product knowledge through training, technical bulletins, catalogues, and product updates.
Deliver exceptional customer service through telephone, email, and face-to-face interactions.
Build and maintain strong relationships with customers through regular communication.
Progress customer orders efficiently while providing expert advice and support.
Handle customer enquiries, concerns, and complaints professionally and effectively.
Maintain accurate customer records in line with data protection requirements.
Process customer orders, payments, and documentation accurately using internal systems.
Source additional parts from external suppliers or partner locations when necessary.
Skills & Experience The ideal Parts Advisor will have:
Previous experience within an automotive parts, distribution, or customer sales environment.
Experience dealing with trade and retail customers over the telephone and in person.
A proven ability to identify sales opportunities and achieve targets.
Good IT skills and confidence using parts lookup and ordering systems.
Knowledge of parts and vehicle materials
What We're Looking For The successful parts advisor will be enthusiastic, organised, and committed to delivering first-class customer service.
You'll be confident handling multiple priorities, enjoy working in a target-driven environment, and be passionate about helping customers find the right solutions.If you're an experienced parts advisor looking to join a professional automotive business offering excellent earning potential and long-term career development, we'd love to hear from you.If you are interested in this parts advisor role, please apply now or contact Grace at E3 Recruitment ....Read more...
Type: Permanent Location: Cambridge, England
Start: ASAP
Salary / Rate: £31900.00 - £35900.00 per annum
Posted: 2026-09-06 10:00:07
Senior Solutions Architect - Networks
We are currently recruiting for a Senior Solutions Architect - Enterprise Networking to join a rapidly growing technology and organisation.
This is a senior, customer-facing role combining technical architecture, pre-sales and solution design, acting as a trusted technical advisor to enterprise customers.
Key responsibilities:
, Lead customer discovery, workshops and technical engagements
, Shape innovative, commercially viable networking solutions
, Support Sales and Account Management with new and existing opportunities
, Develop high-level designs, solution proposals and technical documentation
, Support RFPs, RFIs, tenders, presentations, demos and PoCs
, Work closely with vendors, partners and delivery teams
Looking for experience across:
, Enterprise WAN, LAN & Data Centre Networking
, Routing, Switching, Firewalls & Wireless
, SD-WAN, SASE, Zero Trust & Cyber Security
, Cloud Networking / Hybrid Cloud
, Network Automation, Assurance & Telemetry
, Modern campus and data centre architectures
Experience with technologies such as Cisco, Aruba, Juniper Mist, Zscaler, AWS, Azure, Cisco ISE/Nexus or similar would be highly beneficial.
Professional/vendor certifications such as CCNP/CCIE are desirable but not essential.
@mecscomms: uniting opportunity with ambition in Telecoms | Media | Technology
@mecscomms is the brand name of MECS Communications Ltd who provide permanent & contract recruitment consultancy service as an Employment Agency & Employment Business.
For more information or a list of current vacancies, please see our web site at mecscomms.co.uk ....Read more...
Type: Permanent Location: City of London, England
Salary / Rate: £95000 - £110000 per annum + + Bens
Posted: 2026-09-04 12:49:33
