Manager of Data Analytics and Quantitative Research

A career, not a job: Phase 5 is looking for a quantitative research professional with strong core management skills who wants to grow into a higher level business role.

Day-to-day work

In this role, you will spend the bulk of your time on managing research projects and helping staff grow skills. There will be two types of projects to manage:

• 25% of projects: Customized data science / data analytics projects – helping clients derive insights from their internal data using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and machine learning models. For these projects, you are the go-to person and are expected to be able to explain why we are taking the approach we’re taking, how the process will go, and what the results mean. You should expect to design solutions for the majority of the problems that fall into this category. However, you are not expected to know everything: we can also bring in outside experts to help architect approaches. In that case, though, you will still be expected to understand the approach, explain it to clients, and see the work through to its conclusion.
• 75% of projects: Designing and executing advanced survey research (e.g. conjoint, segmentation, pricing) – managing external suppliers, internal staff, reporting to clients. With this type of project, you will be expected to propose the best approach to a business problem, then see that approach through to completion. The “best” approach will vary depending on client needs and time and budget constraints. To know what is best, you’ll draw from a robust toolbox of research techniques: conjoint, TURF analysis, Van Westendorp, and on and on. You are not expected to know ALL those techniques when you start the job. However, we’re looking for someone who is a quick study and can learn on the job from peers.

On most projects, you will work with an analyst. Your job is to lead the project, working with that analyst, but at the same time to help them grow. You will be mentoring and training, helping analysts expand beyond their current skillset.

Skills needed

• Demonstrated history of clear communication of data that informs business decisions
• Advanced analytic skills in one or more statistical analysis platforms / languages (SPSS, R, Python)
• Ability and interest in developing new skills in data science as required by the projects you are working on; but also self-awareness about the limits of your current knowledge, being willing to bring in outside experts when needed
• An accessible personality – giving clients confidence that they are in good hands
• Quick grasp of the business issues that are driving a project, always bringing the focus back to how the insights we’ve acquired can help clients make decisions
• Communication of complex analyses and messy situations in clear terms that help clients understand how to move forward

Location: This is a full-time job based at our offices in Edina, MN, with some remote days as needed. Generally we like to be in the office so that we can exchange ideas and feel more like a team.

We do not require a particular degree for this position, either undergrad or graduate. However, please note that many of our staff have advanced degrees. Also, if you see your degree as important to your qualifications for this job, please explain why in your cover letter.

Similarly, there is no absolute requirement of working experience. It seems unlikely that anyone with less than 3 years of work experience can do it, but we won’t rule you out if you can make the case. And that’s really the bottom line: think about what it takes to do this job, decide if you think it’s a fit for you, and then make the case to us through your cover letter and hiring process!

Keys to Success:

• Can-do attitude
• No fear of complexity
• Energized by collaboration
• Ability to work extended hours when deadlines loom. (This is not the equivalent of endless overtime – we value work-life balance – but it is the nature of the business)

Phase 5: no ordinary place to work

Phase 5 (www.phase-5.com) is a research-focused consulting firm serving blue chip clients in North America and the UK. We work with a wide swathe of companies, from household name internet companies to manufacturers you’ve never heard of.

We help our clients on their journey to customer centricity by bringing together expertise in marketing research, user and customer experience, innovation and design.

What does that mean, exactly? It means we give advice to our clients on how to bring their products and services and experiences closer to what their customers really want. Our clients trust our advice when they are…

• Creating new products or services
• Searching for better ways to take their products or services to market
• Building better experiences for their customers, through web / mobile interfaces or through the broader customer experience

Clients trust Phase 5 because we are laser-focused on the business questions they are trying to answer.

So what makes Phase 5 an extraordinary place to work? Because we are focused on helping you learn and grow – and because of the nature of our work we are uniquely positioned to provide you opportunities to do that. Our work with clients always involves decision-based thinking and fundamental knowledge of business models and processes – like a hands-on MBA apprenticeship. Through your work at Phase 5, you will learn about these things and be well-positioned to further your career.

Why choose Phase 5?

As an industry leader, Phase 5 offers a competitive compensation program, including benefits, a generous vacation policy and performance-based increases.

Just as importantly, we offer unparalleled access to coaching and development opportunities through our highly experienced staff. You do not work in a vacuum. You have every opportunity to grow in business knowledge and strategic advising capabilities. While we expect curiosity and drive, we do not expect you to know everything. We work with large, complex organizations with complex products. We help you learn on the job and develop business acumen in ways that will improve your own future job prospects.

How to apply

Again, this is a full-time position based in Edina, Minnesota. Please send a cover letter and your resume to recruiting@phase-5.com. Thank you to all who respond. Only successful applicants will be contacted.