Sr. Research Director

IDC Corporate; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 217,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) company match

Paid vacation days and holidays

Sick days and floating holidays

Volunteer day

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

IDC Corporate in the United States is seeking a senior leader to guide strategy research on ecosystems and alliances. You will engage with senior executives across technology vendors, cloud providers, and consulting firms to drive co-sell and co-growth initiatives and measure value realization.

You’ll publish advisory content, forecast ecosystem trends, and shape IDC’s research agenda while traveling 35–40% and maintaining a fully remote work setup.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, technology, or related field a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in ecosystem strategy, strategic alliances, partner strategy, business development, channel leadership, or related advisory roles.
• Credible relationships with alliance, ecosystem, partnering, business development, or channel executives at major tech vendors, cloud providers, systems integrators, or consulting organizations.
• Experience in research, analyst, or advisory capacity is strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of thought leadership, market research, or strategic frameworks influencing executive decisions.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills with the ability to translate market signals into a defensible point of view.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to deliver clear briefs and impactful reports.
• Autonomy with tight alignment to team leadership and strategy.
• Business development instincts: translating research into client value and revenue.
• 35–40% travel; US-based with domestic and international travel; 100% remote.

Responsibilities

• Lead primary research on ecosystem strategy, alliance optimization, co-sell and co-growth models, ecosystem investment, and partner profitability.
• Publish research and advisory content for alliance, ecosystem, and partnering leaders.
• Forecast evolution of ecosystem-led growth models, strategic alliances, and platform partnerships.
• Analyze how organizations use strategic alliances and ecosystem programs to drive customer outcomes and business growth.
• Examine vendor-to-vendor and vendor-to-partner alliances to accelerate AI adoption and market expansion.
• Build and sustain senior relationships with alliance and business development leaders across vendors and service providers.
• Deliver advisory engagements, executive briefings, and keynote presentations translating research into decisions.
• Represent IDC at industry events and client advisory boards.
• Plan IDC's Strategic Alliances engagement activities and influence research agendas.

Skills

Ecosystem strategy

Strategic alliances

Business development

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Overview

About the Role & Team

Every major technology vendor, cloud provider, systems integrator, and consulting organization is rethinking how it creates value through ecosystems, alliances, and partner-led growth. AI, cloud platforms, industry solutions, marketplaces, and strategic partnerships are reshaping how organizations reach customers, scale innovation, accelerate adoption, and deliver business outcomes.

IDC's Strategic Alliances research is one of the few practices focused on how leading organizations design, optimize, and scale alliance and ecosystem strategies. The role works directly with senior alliance, ecosystem, partnering, and business development executives across the world's largest technology vendors, cloud providers, systems integrators, and consulting organizations, helping them navigate topics such as alliance optimization, ecosystem development, co-sell and co-growth models, ecosystem investment, partner profitability, funding programs, ecosystem influence, and the role of strategic partnerships in an AI-driven market.

IDC's Strategic Alliances service provides alliance and ecosystem leaders with research, analyst engagement, peer collaboration, and strategic guidance. Members leverage IDC research to improve decision-making across the full alliance lifecycle, from ecosystem strategy and alliance design through execution, investment, measurement, and value realization. Through a combination of primary research, executive engagement, and subscriber-led collaboration, the service helps organizations build stronger alliances, develop more effective ecosystem strategies, and maximize the business value of strategic partnerships.

What You’ll Do

• Lead primary research on ecosystem strategy, alliance optimization, co-sell and co-growth models, ecosystem investment, partner profitability, and alliance value realization.
• Publish research and advisory content that becomes a reference point for alliance, ecosystem, and partnering leaders across the technology industry.
• Track and forecast the evolution of ecosystem-led growth models, strategic alliances, co-sell motions, platform partnerships, funding programs, alliance investments, and ecosystem orchestration strategies.
• Research how organizations leverage strategic alliances, ecosystem investments, partner funding initiatives, and ecosystem development programs to drive customer outcomes and business growth.
• Analyze the growing role of vendor-to-vendor and vendor-to-partner alliances in accelerating AI adoption, ecosystem scale, industry solutions, and market expansion.
• Build and sustain senior-level relationships with alliance, ecosystem, partnering, and business development leaders across technology vendors, cloud providers, systems integrators, and consulting organizations.
• Deliver advisory engagements, executive briefings, and keynote presentations that translate market research into actionable business decisions.
• Represent IDC as a credible and influential voice at industry events, client advisory boards, alliance forums, and executive roundtables.
• Plan and lead IDC's Strategic Alliances engagement activities, helping shape industry discussion and inform IDC's research agenda.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, technology, or a related field a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in ecosystem strategy, strategic alliances, partner strategy, business development, channel leadership, or an industry research/advisory role focused on technology ecosystems, partnerships, alliances, and route-to-market models.
• Demonstrated, credible relationships with alliance, ecosystem, partnering, business development, or channel executives at major technology vendors, cloud providers, systems integrators, or consulting organizations.
• Strongly preferred prior experience in a research, analyst, or advisory capacity.
• Proven track record of producing thought leadership, market research, or strategic frameworks that influenced executive decision-making.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills, with the ability to turn market signals into a clear, defensible point of view.
• Excellent written and verbal communication. You can write a report that gets read and delivers a briefing that gets remembered.
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy while also acting as a tight, aligned partner to team leadership.
• Business development instincts: you understand how research translates into client value and revenue.
• 35-40% of travel is required. U.S.-based, with the flexibility to travel domestically and internationally for client meetings, briefings, and industry events.
• 100% remote.

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 – $217,000, 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).