Director, Research

AutoTrader.ca; Canada; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Canadian automotive marketplace is seeking a Director of Research to lead a dynamic research initiative. This role focuses on transforming market intelligence into actionable insights, addressing trends in consumer behavior and industry shifts. Responsibilities include managing research budgets, delivering briefs, and engaging with stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have strong analytical skills and a passion for data exploration, with at least five years of market research experience.

Benefits

Benefits from Day 1

Gym discounts

Employee and Family Assistance program

Virtual wellness events

Conferences & training budget

Regular internal training programs

Financial planning

3% pension matching

Competitive salary

Annual bonus structure

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in market research, competitive intelligence, or analytical fields.
• Strong technical and analytical mindset, with the ability to translate complex data into meaningful business narratives.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and adapt as business needs evolve.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end research design and execution using various methodologies.
• Manage and optimize the annual research budget for ROI effectiveness.
• Deliver timely, audience-specific research briefs to stakeholders.
• Champion mixed-method approaches to enhance research quality.

Skills

Data exploration

Market research

Analytical skills

Communication excellence

Initiative

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Quantitative Studies, Research, or related discipline

MBA or graduate degree

Job description

Overview

We are TRADER, a Canadian leader in digital automotive solutions. Our flagship brands — AutoTrader.ca, AutoSync, Dealertrack Canada and CMS — help Canadians buy, sell, and finance vehicles with confidence. AutoTrader.ca is Canada’s largest automotive marketplace, with over 25 million monthly visits. Through AutoSync, we provide software solutions to 3,500+ dealers, streamlining their operations, marketing, and sales. Dealertrack Canada is the country’s top automotive financing portal, processing more than 6.5 million credit applications each year. Collateral Management (CMS) is a national tech solution that boosts lien and registration services, recovery services, and insolvency management solutions for Canadian Lenders. As part of the AutoScout24 group, Europe’s largest online car marketplace, we’re shaping the future of automotive retail in Canada and beyond. Learn more at tradercorporation.com.

Summary of Job:

Summary of Job

The Director of Research will lead an innovative research function that converts market intelligence into actionable insights, driving strategic decision-making and thought leadership both within the organization and externally. This role plays a pivotal part in decoding evolving automotive market dynamics - such as shifts in consumer behavior, electrification trends, and macroeconomic forces like tariffs and interest rates - and transforming them into data-driven guidance for OEMs, dealerships, financial institutions, and consumers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Own end-to-end research design and execution, leveraging third-party partners, primary surveys, focus groups, and behavioral analytics to assess market sentiment, purchase intent, and other emerging trends.
2. Represent the company at major industry events, delivering data-driven keynotes and panel contributions.
3. Manage and optimize the annual research budget, ensuring ROI through rigorous evaluation of vendor performance and methodology effectiveness.
4. Champion mixed-method approaches - blending quantitative data (e.g., AutoTrader analytics, StatsCan and other 3rd party data points) with qualitative insights (e.g., dealer interviews, consumer surveys and panels, third party reports and analyses).
5. Deliver timely, audience-specific research briefs to executive leadership, product teams, and sales stakeholders.
6. Develop a centralized, searchable research repository to enable self-serve access and reduce duplication.
7. Serve as a media spokesperson on automotive trends, ensuring consistent, evidence-based messaging across TV, print, and digital outlets.
8. Build trusted relationships with OEM strategy teams and national dealership groups through tailored research briefings.

Job Requirements

Education, Experience, and Technical Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Quantitative Studies, Research, or a related discipline. An MBA or other graduate degree is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated passion for data exploration and curiosity about uncovering insights. An interest in the automotive industry is welcome, but a deep desire to ask proactive questions and dig into data is much more important.
• At least five years of experience in market research, competitive intelligence, or related analytical fields.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects at once, set clear priorities, and adjust focus as business needs evolve.
• Strong technical and analytical mindset, with the ability to translate complex data into meaningful business narratives.

Required Soft Skills and Competencies

• Initiative and autonomy: Works effectively with cross functional teams such as Product, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to ensure insights reach the right audiences and improve decision making.
• Vendor and stakeholder management: Skilled at managing external research partners and influencing internal teams to support intelligence initiatives.
• Communication excellence: Comfortable in both technical and business settings, able to communicate findings clearly across departments including Marketing, Sales, Product, Finance, as well as Executives.
• Analytical integration: Capable of gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information from a variety of data sources such as product, customer, financial, and competitive data.
• Professional presence: Demonstrates confidence and professionalism in interactions across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders.

What’s in it for you

What’s in it for you…

• Benefits from Day 1
• Gym discounts
• Employee and Family Assistance program
• Virtual wellness events
• Conferences & training budget
• Regular internal training programs
• Financial planning
• Let us help you invest in your future with 3% matching towards your pension and multiple forms of income protection.
• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus structure
• 3% CPP matching