Market Research Manager

This position is for a Market Research Manager to lead the establishment of a new strategic market research function. Key responsibilities include providing insights to executive leaders to support strategic decision-making across areas like student recruitment, academic portfolio development, and research. The role requires significant experience in market research and insights leadership, strong analytical and stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable recommendations.

• This is an opportunity to shape how New Zealand’s leading university makes strategic decisions. We are establishing a new market research and insights capability to help the University anticipate change, identify growth opportunities, and respond to evolving student, industry, and research markets.
• Reporting within the Planning and Information Office, the Market Research Manager will lead the development of a strategic market research function that supports student recruitment, retention, brand positioning, academic portfolio development, and research and innovation opportunities.
• Translating insight into action
• Influencing decision-making
• Identifying opportunities and risks
• Leading organisational change
• This is a full-time, permanent opportunity (37.5 hours per week). The full salary range for this role is $114,400 - $154,800 (Band I).

• You are an experienced insights or market research leader who enjoys turning data into meaningful stories that influence decision-making.
• You are excited by the opportunity to build something new, establish best practice, and create a market research function that delivers real value across a large and complex organisation.
• If you have experience working in customer insights, consumer intelligence, commercial strategy, consulting, public sector insights, higher education strategy, or research agencies, we want to hear from you.
• You bring a strong blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and stakeholder engagement.
• You are comfortable discussing research methodologies and predictive modelling one minute, and presenting recommendations to senior leaders the next.
• You enjoy challenging assumptions, identifying emerging opportunities, and helping organisations make evidence-based decisions.
• You are naturally curious, commercially minded, and proactive. You understand that great insights are only valuable when they lead to action, and you have a track record of translating complex analysis into practical recommendations that drive organisational outcomes.

• Whether your interests lie in education, research, innovation, reputation building, community engagement or student growth, you'll have the chance to contribute across a wide range of portfolios, projects and strategic priorities while continuing to grow your own career.
• This is a rare opportunity to define a new operating model, research agenda, governance frameworks, and future capability for an entirely new function.
• This will give you access to internal expertise and resources commensurate with our complexity and commitments, including an in-house design studio and media production teams, audience specialist teams, web and digital teams, AI and automation expertise, and Māori and Pacific specialists across brand, media, communications, and engagement.