Lead Researcher

JAPFA LTD.; Singapore; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the agrifood sector is seeking a Business Research Analyst to drive innovation and product strategy. The role involves conducting interviews, validating hypotheses, and mentoring junior staff. Candidates should have a strong background in business research, with proficiency in Agile frameworks and data analytics tools. This position offers the opportunity to work closely with solution architects and contribute to impactful projects.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in business research, product strategy, or innovation roles.
• Demonstrated track record of framing problem statements and running hypothesis-driven experiments.
• Exposure to agrifood or manufacturing industries is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conduct deep-dive interviews and workshops to uncover divisional pain points.
• Translate business needs into testable digital-solution hypotheses.
• Maintain a rolling 6–12 month research roadmap with clear milestones.

Skills

Design Thinking

Lean Startup

Agile research frameworks

Quantitative research methods

Qualitative research methods

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Research

Bachelor’s degree in Innovation Management

Tools

SQL

Python

R

BI tools

Job description

Job description

• Internal Division Alignment (Conduct deep-dive interviews and workshops to uncover divisional pain points. Consolidate feedback into clear, prioritized problem statements.)

• Hypothesis Framing & Validation (Translate business needs into testable digital-solution hypotheses. Design low-fidelity experiments (surveys, mockups, data queries) to validate assumptions.)

• Co-Development with Solution Architect (Work closely with the Solution Architect to scope technical feasibility. Align technical prototypes to validated business hypotheses and KPIs.)

• R&D Roadmapping & Agile Research Ops (Maintain a rolling 6–12 month research roadmap with clear milestones. Establish agile rituals (backlog grooming, sprint planning) for small research team.)

• Change-Management & Adoption Planning (Identify organizational barriers; co-design adoption workshops and training. Develop lightweight playbooks for divisions to pilot and scale solutions.)

Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing (Mentor junior analysts and business-research interns. Lead “innovation play” sessions to propagate best practices.)



Educational Background:

Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Business Research, Innovation Management or a closely related discipline.

Professional Experience:

• 3+ years in business research, product strategy, or innovation roles—ideally in digital‐product environments.
• Demonstrated track record of framing problem statements, running hypothesis‐driven experiments, and hand-off to development teams.
Exposure to agrifood, manufacturing, or related industries is highly desirable

Methodological Proficiency:

• Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile research frameworks (including sprint ceremonies, backlog management, and metrics).
Quantitative and qualitative research methods (workshops, surveys, user interviews, data analysis)

Technical Literacy:

• Comfortable interpreting data-analytics outputs (SQL, Python/R basics, BI tools).
• Familiarity with emerging technologies (IoT, machine learning fundamentals, cloud platforms).