Director - Cultural Insights

About us 

We turn customer challenges into growth opportunities.   

Material is a global strategy partner to the world’s most recognizable brands and innovative companies. Our people around the globe thrive by helping organizations design and deliver rewarding customer experiences.  

We use deep human insights, design innovation and data to create experiences powered by modern technology. Our approaches speed engagement and growth for the companies we work with and transform relationships between businesses and the people they serve.  

About the Director, Cultural Insights Role 

We are seeking a Director that will act as a key pillar to the growth of the Cultural Insights team.  You understand culture in the present, can see where it’s going in the future, and take these Cultural Insights and turn it into a meaningful strategy for clients.

As Director, Cultural Insights you will 

• Collaborate across multiple methodologies (qual, quant, social listening) and project teams, bringing a cultural insights and semiotics approach to inspire research design and address project objectives.

• Lead multiple projects and streamline processes, overseeing the synthesis of trend and semiotic learning

• Lead interviews with experts and cultural influencers and present findings to clients.

• Partner with network of partners to deliver cultural insights from across the world.

• Translate broad cultural data into strategic storytelling and implications with creativity and clarity.

• Contribute to thought leadership and building out the Cultural Insights practice through ongoing content and capability development.

About You 

• 8+ years of professional experience leading Cultural Insights project work at a research firm or agency, or freelance

• Expertise in deep-dive trend work and commercial semiotic analysis

• Strong client facilitation and partnership skills, and an ability to lead presentations and workshops

• Experience using cultural insights or semiotics to enrich and inform qualitative, quantitative, brand and innovation workstreams

• Ability to succinctly and visually represent key insights and create actionable frameworks that synthesize findings

• Comfort with ambiguity and enthusiasm for tackling complex challenges that require critical thinking and adaptability

• Experience applying CI in the context of Design, innovation

• Experience with Cultural Foresight approaches

• Comfort with bringing together multiple inputs to create unified insights

• Collaboration with colleagues from various backgrounds, areas of expertise

Why work for Material? 

In addition to fulfilling, high-impact work, company culture and benefits are integral to determining if a job is a right fit for you. Here’s a bit about who we are and highlights around what we offer. 

Who We Are & What We Care About 

• Material is a global company and we work with best-of-class brands worldwide.  We also create and launch new brands and products, putting innovation and value creation at the center of our practice. Our clients are in the top of their class, across industry sectors from technology to retail, transportation, finance and healthcare. 

• Material employees join a peer group of exceptionally talented colleagues across the company, the country, and even the world. We develop capabilities, craft and leading-edge market offerings across seven global practices including strategy and insights, design, data & analytics, technology and tracking. Our engagement management team makes it all hum for clients.  

• We prize inclusion and interconnectedness. We amplify our impact through the people, perspectives, and expertise we engage in our work. Our commitment to deep human understanding combined with a science & systems approach uniquely equips us to bring a rich frame of reference to our work. 

• A community focused on learning and making an impact. Material is an outcomes focused company. We create experiences that matter, create new value and make a difference in people's lives.  

What We Offer 

In addition to Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability and FSA, Material offers: 

• A work environment that works best for you. Whether that’s fully remote, in one of our offices, or hybrid.

• Flexible & synchronous time off. We trust our colleagues to take responsibility for and manage their workloads. That’s why we offer Flexible Time Off along with synchronous companywide closures and 11 company holidays.   

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Every parent deserves to spend the first few months of their new child’s life with them. 

• Help planning for your future. We offer 401K match, as well as periodic financial wellness and planning sessions throughout the year.  

Pay Range: $83,000.00-114,500.00

The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Material. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work itself. 

Equal Employment Opportunity                           

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.

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