Associate Director, Custom Research & Consulting

The Company You’ll Join: Veris Insights is a recruiting intelligence and analytics firm dedicated to helping University Recruiting and Talent Acquisition leaders attract, engage, and recruit top talent. We combine extensive candidate and employer data with rigorous analytics to create research studies, briefs, tools, dashboards, platforms, and services to advise 200+ Fortune 1000 companies on their hardest recruiting issues.   The Team You’ll Join: Our mission at Veris Insights is to set an unprecedented standard for research, analytics, and insight in the talent acquisition space – to craft the strategy and language talent leaders use to shape the direction of the industry. Currently, we’re in a unique position to do this, as the majority of the industry’s leadership actively uses the advice of our research.   The custom research team partners with Veris Insights’ clients (“members”) to design and deliver tailored research engagements that inform critical talent decisions. We focus on understanding candidate behaviors and experiences at pivotal decision-making moments—such as choosing whether to apply, accept an offer, or continue with an internship—and translate those findings into actionable insights and recommendations that strengthen both the candidate journey and members’ recruiting outcomes. Beyond these areas, our work increasingly extends into adjacent and emerging priorities, including program design and evaluation, deep-dive studies on candidate decision dynamics (e.g., reneges), competitor practices, and fully bespoke projects aligned with members’ evolving talent challenges.   As the leader of the custom research function, you’ll manage and develop a team of researchers and work directly with senior client stakeholders on their toughest recruiting challenges. From shaping the research questions to delivering the strategic insights, you’ll play a hands-on role in creating outcomes that influence executive decisions, while raising the bar for excellence across your team.   How You’ll Grow: The custom research team is perhaps the most versatile in the organization – owning data collection, research content creation, and research delivery for our custom research projects. No one day looks like another, and opportunities for skill growth are incredibly varied in nature.   Leading this function offers unmatched opportunities for impact and professional development. Managing this high-performing team will strengthen your leadership and mentorship skills, while deepening your ability to translate research into executive-ready insights. You’ll also gain broad exposure across the business, collaborating cross-functionally, shaping new approaches, and driving strategic initiatives in an environment where you’ll often create clarity from ambiguity.    Who You Are:    People-First Leader. You thrive in managing, coaching, and developing exceptional talent, and creating an environment where high achievers can grow and succeed. Strong Project Manager. Organized and proactive, you manage multiple priorities at once, guiding projects and people to deliver high-quality work on time.  Thrives in Ambiguity. You’re energized by challenges without clear guidelines and find ways to bring structure and solutions.  Cross-Functional Collaborator. You have demonstrated the ability to manage upwards, laterally, and downward, as well as across functions, such as sales or client service.  Consultative Researcher. You bring strong research acumen and a consultative mindset, ensuring work answers clients’ most pressing questions and exceeds their expectations.

Key Responsibilities: People Management & Mentorship

• Ensure high performance across every team member of your team through proactive and regular mentorship and feedback.
• Manage and develop a team of project managers, providing ongoing coaching and feedback.
• Track team workloads, adjust assignments as needed, and ensure balance across the team.
• Mentor early-career and mid-career researchers, ensuring they develop strong foundational skills.

Key Responsibilities: Client Service & Research Consulting

• Serve as the primary research advisor for 1-3 employer partners, understanding their unique recruiting challenges and designing customized research solutions.
• Lead projects end-to-end, scoping research questions, shaping methodology, guiding analysis, and delivering strategic insights.
• Present findings directly to senior and executive stakeholders, providing actionable recommendations that influence recruiting strategies.

Key Responsibilities: Data Analysis & Narrative