Sr. Research Director

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.

• →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.

• 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.