Smarty Pantsis a market research and strategic consulting firm on a mission to illuminate the business world with brilliant consumer insights, inspiring human stories and ingenious brand solutions. Since 2005, the world’s most powerful brands have relied on Smarty Pants for niche consumer expertise, industry intelligence, creative research acumen, thought leadership, and a contagious passion for everything we do.
Smarty Pants leads research and consulting initiatives for tech, entertainment, healthcare, toy, retail, CPG, finance, automotive and apparel/footwear giants. More specifically, we:
- Serve as strategic consultants – educate and guide on trends, marketing strategies, best practices, etc.
- Design rigorous research programs to meet clients’ unique informational needs
- Execute those initiatives with industry-leading qualitative, quantitative and hybrid research professionals
- Carefully aggregate and analyze findings, layering on our collective wisdom
- Create visually compelling deliverables that energize and inspire
- Help our clients apply the learning to their business challenges
Culturally, we are adiverse, fun-loving, supportive, virtual organization that functions as a cohesive team. We are smart, nimble and highly efficient. “Will and skill” talent thrives here, as do expansive thinkers. Together, we work hard, love what we do, and have strong relationships with our high-performing colleagues and clients. In short, we are a happy, loyal team dedicated to our happy, loyal clients.
SUMMARY STATEMENT
Excellence Experts are foundational to our research operations team, which ensures primary research efficiency and effectiveness. More specifically, the Qualitative Research Excellence Expert is responsible for managing the research participants, fieldwork logistics, platforms, vendors, data compliance, budgets and resources of assigned qualitative research projects. The role enables Insights teams to successfully lead fieldwork, analysis, deliverables and client relationships by eliminating their operational workstreams.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Participant Acquisition and Management
- Manage qualitative research participant recruitment and scheduling
- Administer and oversee research participant consent form completion and accuracy
- Manage participation incentives and compensation fulfillment
- Lead all necessary participant communications throughout the research life cycle
Field Logistics and Programming
- Create, maintain, and ensure adherence to detailed execution plans, schedules, and timelines
- Source, purchase, ship, customize, prepare, and manage research stimuli, physical equipment, digital assets, and products needed for flawless execution
- Set up project-specific qualitative research platforms, software, and tools
- Document effective protocols, templates, and best practices for qualitative research operations and enablement
Platform and Vendor Management
- Source, negotiate with, and manage third-party facilities, venues, recruiters, and specialists
- Oversee vendor/partner contracts, ensure adherence to agreed-upon terms, and verify invoice accuracy
- Oversee procurement and ongoing management of top-tier qualitative tools and platforms, including software/hardware asset management
- Manage access privileges, user seats, and evaluate platforms for participant recruitment and info management
Quality Control and Compliance
- Ensure all participant information is accurate, honest, useful, and thorough
- Share participant data in relevant, compliant ways for Insights teams
- Oversee data privacy, participant safety, and ethical communication practices, including proper disposal of personally identifiable information (PII)
- Educate Insights teams on client’s contractual obligations and communicate policy updates
- Conduct regular audits of research platforms/tools to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, MSAs, and SOWs; send reminders and oversee retention and destruction protocols.
- Manage and ensure timely compliance with client’s Smarty Pants offboarding policies
Budget and Resource Tracking
- Partner with project leaders to manage team member bandwidth, staffing, and scheduling
- Input time allocations/needs in resource and project management software
- Support proposal development by gathering bids, making vendor recommendations, creating and reviewing contracts
- Oversee contracts and billing in close partnership with the Smarty Pants Finance Manager
- Manage budgets as SOWs shift between studies, ensuring expenditures (software/vendor fees, incentives, travel) align with financial goals
- Review post-project finances to ensure estimated and actual costs align, providing recommendations and cost-saving measures to optimize future initiatives
DISCLAIMER
This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions and associated responsibilities; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field – with high academic achievement
- A minimum of five years of relevant work experience (business operations, project management, technology or market research)
- Experience in research/project enablement — creating documentation, templates, and leading internal workshops around best practices
- Experience and strong understanding of the qualitative research lifecycle
- Experience leading the coordination of research vendors, ensuring seamless execution of fieldwork processes and maintaining exceptional standards in project performance
- Experience negotiating contracts with vendors, tracking spending for department, providing financial insights and projections
- Experience researching and comparing appropriate platforms for recruiting and managing participant information
- Experience in supporting fieldwork processes by coordinating with sample providers and monitoring project performance
- Experience and comfort with all data collection and tracking mechanisms
- Experience tracking and managing both internal and external project costs, including project time tracking and external expenses, to ensure projects stay within budget
- A proven track record of proactively troubleshooting fieldwork challenges, addressing issues promptly and effectively under the guidance of senior team members
SKILLS & LEADERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
- A proactive process and operations leader who thrives in complex and demanding environments that require agility and flexibility
- Exceptionally organized with an ability to manage multiple projects with attention to efficiency and detail and adherence to timelines and quality standards
- Able to autonomously assess importance of tasks and prioritize, pivot and juggle accordingly
- Able to proactively identify and address potential challenges and requirements before they arise
- Exhibit strong leadership abilities, guiding teams towards achieving their goals with confidence and clarity
- Able to consistently drive successful project outcomes and spearhead continuous improvement initiatives to optimize and elevate fieldwork processes
- An adept, proactive communicator across audiences who is confident in sharing ideas and recommendations – internally and externally, verbally and in writing
- Tech-forward and well-versed in various apps, software, research and AI tools
- A strong relationship builder who is able to work seamlessly with colleagues, vendors, research participant and client stakeholders, fostering a cooperative and productive work environment
- Be proactive, have a strong drive to consistently exceed expectations and overdeliver, be open to mentorship, and be solutions-focused
- A positive, generous disposition, be a collaborative, supportive colleague and be open-minded, patient, tolerant and empathetic
PHYSICAL AND/OR COGNITIVE CAPABILITIES REQUIREMENTS
- Able to work on a company computer using digital platforms and industry-specific software for up to the full duration of the workday
- Must be able to effectively communicate and exchange information via phone, video, reading, writing, studying, analyzing and entering data
- Must be able to cognitively process business information, analyze situations and goals, and effectively collaborate with others without creating additional or undue work for others
- Must be able to travel to in-person research and client/company meetings. Travel may include:
- Personal (or rented) automobiles
- Public transportation such as rideshare, train, bus or airplane
- International travel that requires a valid US passport
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Must work from a dedicated, distraction-free, private workspace at home or a space pre-approved by Smarty Pants
- Core work hours are 9am-5pm EST or 7am-3pm PST Monday-Friday (excluding company closures, PTO, leave). Additional work outside these hours will be required based on client and/or company needs
- Infrequent travel may be required to attend company meetings
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary
- Competitive salary range available to qualified candidates upon request
Additional Compensation
- Eligible for discretionary year-end and/or spot bonus, based on company performance and discretion
Benefits
- Eligible to participate in Smarty Pants’ health care plan offered through Blue Cross/Blue Shield following 60 days of full-time employment
- Eligible to participate in Smarty Pants-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan following 90 days of full-time employment
- Employer contribution of 3% of salary to Smarty Pants-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan following one year of employment, with no vesting schedule
- Eligible for Smarty Pants’ Paid Family Leave Plan following one year of full-time employment
- Eligible to participate in Smarty Pants’ sponsored 529 savings plan
- Up to $100/month phone/internet stipend
Plan details are provided separately in the Smarty Pants Employee Handbook and through additional third-party literature.
Paid Time Off
- Company closures (currently 16.5 weekdays)
- Up to 15 planned Vacation days
- Up to 3 unplanned Personal/Bereavement days
- Unlimited Just Get Better (sick) days
- Twice-per-quarter half-day Happy Hours
Additional information on PTO usage and limitations is provided in the Employee Handbook.
Benefits and/or eligibility may change with a 30-day notice to employees.
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