Client/Market Research Lead

Horizontal Talent; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizontal Talent is seeking a Client Research Lead to advance understanding of clients and prospects through deep, evidence-based research and segmentation. You will apply advanced UX research, quantitative analytics, and behavioral segmentation to uncover insights that drive strategy, design, innovation, and marketing decisions across the enterprise.

As a senior individual contributor, you will collaborate with UX, CX, Marketing, and Product to design, execute, and synthesize research that

Qualifications

• 8+ years in UX/CX research or market research.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative methods at scale.
• Ability to turn data into actionable insights.
• Experience with segmentation and predictive analysis.
• Familiarity with agile/design thinking in enterprise contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead mixed-methods research studies to reveal actionable client insights.
• Develop segmentation frameworks using behavioral and transactional data.
• Partner with Marketing, UX, CX, and Analytics to translate insights into design.
• Identify high-value opportunities with Innovation Portfolio & Strategy.
• Design surveys and usability tests; analyze results with R/ SPSS/ SAS/ Excel.
• Build dashboards communicating findings to executives.
• Measure ROI of research and design improvements.
• Ensure data integrity and align qualitative with quantitative models.
• Collaborate with Risk, Legal, Compliance on ethical research.
• Mentor peers and support enterprise initiatives.

Skills

UX research

Quantitative analytics

Behavioral segmentation

Stakeholder influence

Data storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's preferred

Tools

Qualtrics

UserTesting

R

SPSS

SAS

JMP

Excel

Job description

How will this role impact us?

The Client Research Lead is responsible for advancing the understanding of clients and prospects through deep, evidence-based research and segmentation. This role applies advanced UX research, quantitative analytics, and behavioral segmentation to uncover insights that drive strategy, design, innovation, and marketing decisions across the enterprise.

How will this role impact us?

The Client Research Lead is responsible for advancing the understanding of clients and prospects through deep, evidence-based research and segmentation. This role applies advanced UX research, quantitative analytics, and behavioral segmentation to uncover insights that drive strategy, design, innovation, and marketing decisions across the enterprise.

Working as a senior individual contributor, this position partners with UX, CX, Marketing, and Product teams to design, execute, and synthesize research that clarifies client motivations, needs, and opportunities. The Research Lead also partners closely with the Manager, Innovation Portfolio & Strategy to connect research insights with rapid experimentation, helping accelerate insights into action and ensure that ideas tested through the innovation funnel are rooted in real client and market needs.

This position ensures that every insight is actionable, measurable, and aligned with enterprise goals, helping us strengthen our value proposition and improve outcomes for military families.

What will the employee do in this role?

• Lead the design and execution of advanced mixed-methods research studies that combine qualitative and quantitative data to reveal actionable insights about clients, advisors, and prospects.
• Develop, refine, and maintain customer and market segmentation frameworks using behavioral, demographic, attitudinal, and transactional data.
• Partner with Marketing, UX, CX, and Analytics teams to translate research insights into design strategies, content direction, and personalized experiences.
• Collaborate directly with the Manager, Innovation Portfolio & Strategy to identify and test high-value opportunities; provide data-driven insights that inform which ideas move forward for experimentation.
• Design surveys, usability studies, and behavioral experiments using tools such as Qualtrics, UserTesting, or similar; analyze results using R, SPSS, SAS, or Excel.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reports that communicate key findings and progress metrics to executives and stakeholders.
• Lead efforts to quantify and measure the ROI of research and design improvements, connecting client experience outcomes to business KPIs.
• Partner with Data Science and Business Intelligence teams to ensure data integrity and alignment of qualitative insights with quantitative models.
• Collaborate with Risk, Legal, and Compliance to proactively mitigate risks and ensure ethical, responsible, and compliant research practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in advanced research design, data analysis, and customer segmentation, mentoring peers and supporting enterprise initiatives.

What skills & qualifications does this employee need?

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred in Applied Anthropology, Human-Centered Design, Behavioral Science, Statistics, or related field required.
• Graduate certification in Applied Research Statistics or equivalent quantitative specialization preferred.

Work Experience

• 8+ years of experience in UX or CX research, data-driven segmentation, or market research, preferably in financial services or other regulated industries.
• Proven experience designing and analyzing qualitative and quantitative research at scale, including usability testing, surveys, and statistical modeling.
• Demonstrated success turning data into actionable insights that influence product, marketing, and experience strategies.
• Expertise with advanced research and analytics tools such as R, SPSS, SAS, or JMP, and with survey platforms such as Qualtrics or UserTesting.
• Strong experience integrating qualitative research with behavioral and transactional data for segmentation and predictive analysis.
• Familiarity with agile, lean, or design thinking methodologies, and ability to apply them within a structured enterprise context.

Certifications (Preferred)

• Strategyzer Masterclass Certification, or equivalent innovation facilitation credentials.
• Certifications in Applied Research Statistics, AI Prompt Engineering, or Business Data Analytics.

Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Deep expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods; able to design studies, analyze complex data, and synthesize results.
• Strong storytelling and communication skills; able to translate research insights into business impact.
• Excellent collaboration skills and ability to influence across departments.
• Experience defining and implementing segmentation models that support marketing, product, and client experience strategies.
• High attention to detail, curiosity, and intellectual rigor.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical research and data integrity.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities (preferred)

• Experience within financial services, fintech, or other highly regulated industries.
• Familiarity with behavioral economics or applied anthropology.
• Working knowledge of AI-enabled research tools and data automation techniques.
• Military experience