Vice President of Research and Insights

Career Guide

A Vice President of Research and Insights leads an organization’s research strategy to turn customer, market, and product data into clear guidance for leadership. This role balances executive influence, team leadership, and high-quality research practices to shape product direction, brand strategy, and business growth.

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Key Responsibilities

Set the research and insights strategy aligned to business goals
Partner with executive leaders to define priority questions and decisions
Oversee research programs across customer, market, and product topics
Translate findings into clear recommendations and business actions
Build and lead research and insights teams including hiring and coaching
Establish research standards for quality, ethics, and consistency
Develop an insights roadmap and manage budgets and vendors
Create executive-ready storytelling through presentations and reports
Track business impact of insights and improve adoption across teams
Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with Product, Marketing, Sales, and Analytics

Top Skills for Success

Executive Communication

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Planning

People Leadership

Influence Without Authority

Research Strategy

Research Program Management

Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

Survey Design

Experiment Design

Market Research

Competitive Analysis

Insights Storytelling

Measurement Strategy

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Chief Insights Officer

Chief Customer Officer

Head of Research and Insights

Vice President of Product Strategy

Vice President of Customer Experience

Transition Opportunities

General Manager

Vice President of Product Management

Vice President of Marketing

Strategy Director

Corporate Development Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Executive PresenceResearch PrioritizationChange ManagementVendor ManagementBudget ManagementImpact MeasurementCross-Functional Operating CadenceData Literacy

Development SuggestionsBuild a repeatable process for intake, prioritization, and decision support. Practice concise executive storytelling with clear recommendations. Define how insights success is measured, then report outcomes regularly. Strengthen financial and vendor skills by owning budgets, negotiating scopes, and managing performance.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 160,000 to 200,000

Mid LevelUSD 200,000 to 260,000

Senior LevelUSD 260,000 to 350,000

Growth Trend

Stable to growing demand, with stronger hiring in organizations investing in customer experience, product-led growth, and competitive positioning.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

GoogleAmazonMicrosoftAppleMetaNetflixSalesforceAdobeProcter and GambleUnileverPepsiCoNikeMcKinsey and CompanyBain and CompanyBoston Consulting Group

Industry Sectors

TechnologyConsumer Packaged GoodsRetailFinancial ServicesHealthcareMedia and EntertainmentTravel and HospitalityMarket Research ServicesManagement Consulting

Recommended Next Steps

Create a one-page research and insights strategy tied to business priorities

Build an executive-facing insights narrative with three examples of decisions changed by research

Audit current research workflows and define quality standards and templates

Set a quarterly roadmap and an intake process that aligns teams on priorities

Develop a leadership scorecard that tracks adoption and business impact

Strengthen influence skills by co-owning a cross-functional initiative with Product or Marketing

Identify team gaps and write a hiring plan for the next two key roles