Research Director

IDC Corporate; United States; Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 vacation days (prorated)

12 company-paid holidays

6 paid sick days (prorated)

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

2 floating holidays (prorated)

1 volunteer day

401(k) company match (IDC matches 3%…)

Company-paid short-term disability

Company-paid life insurance

Company-paid parental leave

Job summary

IDC seeks a Research Director to lead enterprise AI infrastructure research, focusing on upcoming and shipping products and market trends. The role blends qualitative and quantitative work and requires collaboration with analysts across multiple domains to deliver synthesized insights for IDC clients.

You will develop relationships with global AI infrastructure vendors, build market models, and deliver insights on adoption trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/AI related field.
• 10+ years in IT industry or market research in a relevant field.
• Strong storytelling, writing and ability to publish research notes for clients.
• Proficient with AI tooling for accelerating work and insights.
• Analytical, adaptable with problem-solving and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel ~35% domestically with some international travel.
• Hybrid/Remote work options (onsite potential).

Responsibilities

• Develop direct relationships with key AI infrastructure vendors globally.
• Develop market models for AI infrastructure products and markets for projects and data products.
• Deliver rich insights on industry and market adoption trends.
• Collaborate with analysts across domains to build holistic research.
• Engage with clients to discuss market trends and strategies.

Skills

Storytelling

AI tooling

Analytical thinking

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/AI

Tools

AI tooling platforms

Job description

Overview

About the Role & Team

IDC is seeking a Research Director to be part of our enterprise AI infrastructure research focusing on upcoming and shipping products, as well as emerging trends and how they will impact the market. The ideal candidate will possess a combination of qualitative and quantitative skills that would a) engage with industry contacts to gather demand and supply intelligence on the market, and b) enable them to deliver research and insights to IDC’s clients and prospects. The candidate must be self-driven and be able to collaborate with analysts across multiple research areas (e.g., adjacent infrastructure domains, cloud, enterprise software, security, and technology leader) to deliver rich insights synthesized from both IDC data and external sources. The job also requires regular interactions with clients to update them on current market trends and to provide advice on technical and business strategies.

What You’ll Do

Develop and maintain direct relationships with key AI infrastructure vendors globally. Develop market models for AI infrastructure products and markets for both custom projects and to feed into IDC’s data products. Develop and deliver rich insights on the industry (key manufacturing and supply chain vendors) and the market (key adoption trends). Collaborate with infrastructure, enterprise applications, and device analysts to build insights and support intersecting research domains in order to create a more holistic picture of AI infrastructure use cases, deployment patterns, and value. Adopt a flexible work schedule as needed to accommodate interactions with globally distributed clients and colleagues.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree (with course work in computer information systems, programming, engineering, or AI/Data Science being a bonus)
• At least 10 years of experience in the IT industry either for a technology vendor or implementing and supporting technology for enterprises, or at another market research firm in a relevant field.
• Strong story telling (narrative and writing) skills. Ability to verbally convey, write and publish professional research notes (without the use of writing aids). These research notes will be circulated to IDC clients.
• Proficient with AI tooling for accelerating work and developing new insights.
• Analytical, adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and presentation skills.
• Flexible work schedule to engage with IDC teams and globally distributed clients.
• Percentage of travel required: ~35% domestically with some travel internationally.
• Desired work model: Hybrid/Remote (optional onsite, depending on proximity to an IDC office)

Why This Role Stands Out

At IDC, your work helps shape how the world understands technology and where it goes next. You collaborate with curious, high-caliber colleagues who value rigor, integrity, and shared success. As the premier global provider of trusted technology intelligence, IDC equips business and technology leaders with the evidence they need to make confident decisions. Our insights inform strategy, investment, and innovation across industries and regions.

Recognized by IIAR as Analyst Firm of the Year for five consecutive years, IDC sets the standard for credibility and impact. With more than 1,000 analysts worldwide and a truly global perspective, we combine deep expertise with practical relevance. Here, your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your contributions provide the insights leaders rely on every day. It is meaningful work, backed by a culture that supports growth, collaboration, and long-term career development with a globally respected brand.

What We Offer

• 15 vacation days (prorated based on start date)
• 12 company-paid holidays
• 6 paid sick days (prorated based on start date; may vary by state)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 2 floating holidays (prorated based on start date)
• 1 volunteer day
• 401(k) company match (IDC matches 3% on the first 6% of employee contributions)
• Company-paid short-term disability
• Company-paid life insurance
• Company-paid parental leave

Compensation Transparency

At IDC, we are committed to fair and equitable pay practices. Employees are compensated equitably for their work, aligned with their skills and experience. Salary and incentive structures are determined through a rigorous process that considers experience, education, certifications, role‑specific requirements, internal equity, and verified U.S. market data from an independent third‑party partner.The expected total annual compensation, depending on location and experience, is between $130,000 – $161,000, inclusive of base salary and variable compensation.

If this role relocates to a different country, the salary range will be updated to reflect that country's range, rather than a currency conversion of the original range.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IDC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. Employment eligibility verification required. We participate in E-Verify.

IDC is currently able to employ remote workers in the following states: Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Washington D.C. (DC), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Kansas (KS), Massachusetts (MA), Maryland (MD), Maine (ME), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Missouri (MO), Mississippi (MS), North Carolina (NC), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Ohio (OH), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Virginia (VA), Vermont (VT), Washington (WA), and Wisconsin (WI).