Director, Fragrance Intelligence

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 124,000 - 214,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plans

Paid leave programs

Wellness programs

Job summary

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is seeking a Director of Consumer Intelligence for Tom Ford Beauty and Balmain, leading consumer insights to drive brand growth.

You will translate luxury consumer behavior into strategic recommendations, partner with marketing, product development, and cross-functional teams, and guide learning agendas with autonomy. The ideal candidate brings strong business acumen, curiosity, and exquisite judgment, blending analytical rigor with an understanding of luxury

Qualifications

• Typically requires 6+ years of experience in market research, consumer insights, marketing strategy, or data analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage diverse data sources to uncover meaningful insights and drive decisions.
• Strong understanding of prestige fragrance landscape and luxury consumer behavior.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Partner: Serve as the primary Consumer Intelligence partner for Tom Ford Beauty & Balmain, supporting innovation, communications, and long-term brand growth.
• Lead the Consumer Learning Agenda: Develop and execute annual consumer intelligence priorities aligned with business objectives.
• Generate Actionable Insights: Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative research programs and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Monitor Luxury Consumer & Cultural Trends: Assess evolving consumer behaviors, fashion and design trends, and competitive activity.
• Integrate Multiple Sources of Intelligence: Synthesize primary research with social intelligence, syndicated data, and marketplace observations.
• Influence Cross-Functional Decisions: Partner with Global Marketing, Product Development, Innovation, and Commercial leadership.
• Deliver Strategic Storytelling: Create narratives that translate insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Manage External Research Partners: Select and manage agencies to ensure high-quality execution.

Skills

Market research

Consumer insights

Data analytics

Fragrance & Luxury knowledge

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Autonomy

Cross-functional partnership

Tools

Social listening platforms

POS data

Customer panels

Job description

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

Description

The Director, Consumer Intelligence – Tom Ford Beauty & Balmain serves as the dedicated consumer intelligence partner to the Tom Ford Beauty & Balmain business, translating consumer behavior, luxury culture, and marketplace dynamics into actionable strategies that drive brand growth and innovation.

As the primary Consumer Intelligence lead supporting the two couture brands, this role partners closely with Global Brand Leadership, Marketing, Product Development, and cross-functional teams to ensure the consumer perspective is embedded throughout business decision-making. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Director leads the consumer learning agenda, identifies emerging opportunities, and delivers strategic recommendations that influence innovation, communication, and long-term brand growth.

Success in this role requires strong business acumen, deep curiosity, excellent judgment, and an appreciation for the luxury consumer. The ideal candidate combines rigorous analytical thinking with refined cultural awareness, understanding how fashion, craftsmanship, design, and evolving consumer aspirations shape the future of luxury fragrance.

• Strategic Business Partner: Serve as the primary Consumer Intelligence partner for Tom Ford Beauty & Balmain, providing strategic consumer perspectives that support innovation, communications, and long-term brand growth.
• Lead the Consumer Learning Agenda: Independently develop and execute annual consumer intelligence priorities aligned with business objectives, ensuring learning plans answer the most critical strategic questions facing the brand.
• Generate Actionable Insights: Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative research programs across innovation, communication, consumer experience, and brand equity, translating findings into practical business recommendations.
• Monitor Luxury Consumer & Cultural Trends: Continuously assess evolving luxury consumer behaviors, fashion and design trends, competitive activity, cultural movements, and emerging white-space opportunities that may influence Tom Ford Beauty and Balmain future growth.
• Integrate Multiple Sources of Intelligence: Synthesize primary research with social intelligence, syndicated data, retail performance, competitive intelligence, and marketplace observations to develop a holistic understanding of the luxury fragrance category.
• Influence Cross-Functional Decisions: Partner closely with Global Marketing, Product Development, Innovation, Regional Teams, and Commercial leadership to ensure consumer insights are incorporated into key business decisions.
• Deliver Strategic Storytelling: Develop clear, concise, and compelling narratives that translate complex consumer insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Manage External Research Partners: Select and manage research agencies and external partners to ensure high-quality execution, methodological rigor, and business impact.

Qualifications

• Experience: Typically requires 6+ years of experience in market research, consumer insights, marketing strategy, or data analytics.
• Analytical Prowess: Solid expertise in interpreting both quantitative data (new product launch related learning and testing) and qualitative feedback (focus groups, interviews).
• Data & Analytics Expertise: Demonstrated ability to leverage diverse data sources—including social listening platforms, consumer panels, and POS data—to uncover meaningful consumer insights, identify emerging trends, and drive strategic business decisions.
• Fragrance & Luxury Category Understanding: Strong understanding of the prestige fragrance landscape and luxury consumer behavior, with an appreciation for the emotional, cultural, and lifestyle dimensions that influence fragrance purchasing.
• Fashion & Cultural Awareness: Demonstrated interest in fashion, luxury, design, art, and contemporary culture. Understands how broader cultural movements and aesthetic trends shape luxury brand desirability and consumer expectations.
• Consumer Curiosity: Naturally curious with an insatiable desire to understand consumers, creators, cultural movements, and the forces shaping the future of prestige beauty.
• Business Partnership: Proven ability to build trusted relationships with senior marketing and product development partners, proactively identifying opportunities and influencing decisions through consumer evidence and strategic thinking.
• Storytelling & Executive Communication: Skilled at translating complex consumer learning into concise, compelling narratives that inform strategic decisions and inspire action.
• Independent Leadership: Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy, effectively managing multiple priorities while independently driving the consumer intelligence agenda for the brand.
• Curiosity & Learning Agility: Naturally curious, intellectually humble, and passionate about understanding evolving consumer motivations, luxury behaviors, and emerging cultural shifts.

Pay Range

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $124,200.00 to $214,450.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program as well as participation in the share incentive plan. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results. In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including:

• health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
• wellness and family support programs
• life and disability insurance
• retirement savings plans
• paid leave programs
• education-related programs
• paid holidays and vacation time

Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact [e-mail].

Michigan Applicants:

Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.

Philadelphia Applicants:

Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law

Rhode Island Applicants:

The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.