Director of Data Analytics & Data Innovation

About Blue Yonder

At Blue Yonder, a Curion company, we connect brands to people. Our expertise and passionate pursuit of insights enable our clients to make informed decisions that drive meaningful impact. Our vision? Advancing the way brands connect to people to build a better future. Our core values: Integrity, Resiliency, Accountability, Curiosity, and Collaboration.

Location/Travel Requirements

• While location-flexible, this role requires regular working hours from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. GMT to support teams in multiple time zones.
• While this position is primarily remote, candidates must be able and willing to travel approximately once per quarter for team meetings.

Role Overview

The Director of Data Analytics & Data Innovation is responsible for the strategy, execution, and evolution of insights data and analytics capabilities at Curion/Blue Yonder. This leader owns analytics delivery for client research projects, sets standards for data quality and methodologies, and drives innovation in analytics, automation, and AI‑enabled tooling.

This role provides direct leadership to two regional analytics managers, while overseeing a broader team of analysts across multiple countries and time zones, ensuring consistent excellence in client deliverables (tabulations, advanced analytics, insights) while continuously modernising Curion’s analytics platforms, processes, and talent.

The ideal candidate combines deep hands‑on market research analytics expertise, strong people leadership, and a forward‑looking mindset around AI, automation, and advanced modelling.

Key Responsibilities

• Help define and execute the data & analytics strategy supporting Curion/Blue Yonder’s research offerings and growth objectives.
• Serve as the analytics authority (SME) for internal stakeholders.
• Partner with executive leadership, research leaders, and operations to ensure analytics capabilities align with business strategy and client needs.
• Establish a scalable global operating model for analytics (regional teams, shared services, centres of excellence).

Client Delivery & Advanced Analytics Excellence

• Serve as the escalation point for complex analytical and data quality issues, providing hands‑on guidance and resolution.
• Join client‑facing meetings and presentations to explain advanced analytics approaches, interpret results, and provide expert advisory guidance to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Own and oversee analytics delivery for company clients, ensuring accuracy, methodological rigor, and on‑time execution.
• Provide executive‑level oversight and guidance on advanced analytical approaches including Conjoint Analysis, MaxDiff Analysis, TURF Analysis, Penalty Analysis, Advanced statistical modelling and segmentation.
• Ensure analytics outputs (tabulations, models, reports, visualisations) meet Curion/Blue Yonder’s highest quality standards.
• Lead and develop regional analytics managers and senior analysts across multiple countries and time zones.
• Build, mentor, and scale a world‑class analytics organisation.
• Establish career paths, skill frameworks, and training programs for analysts and analytics managers.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and innovation across geographies.
• Manage global resource planning, workload balancing, and capacity forecasting.

Standards, Quality & Operational Excellence

• Define and enforce standards, best practices, and documentation for: Data processing and validation, Tabulation structures, Coding practices, Advanced analytics methodologies.
• Drive consistency in data quality, reproducibility, and auditability across all regions.
• Continuously evaluate and streamline analytics workflows to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Oversee the use of internal and contract resources to ensure cost‑effective delivery.
• Co‑Lead (with SVP, Technology) Curion’s analytics innovation roadmap, including experimentation and adoption of: AI‑enabled analytics tools, Automation of data processing and tabulations, Advanced modelling and insight acceleration techniques.
• Act as a strategic AI and analytics business partner, collaborating closely with innovation and technology functions to drive business value through AI, advanced analytics, and automation initiatives.
• Research, test, and implement new platforms, software packages, and methodologies that improve speed‑to‑insight