Director, Customer & Communities Insights

The Director, Customer & Communities Insights, leads Marriott International’s agile customer research capability, helping business partners quickly understand customer and member perspectives, and make informed decisions. This role owns Marriott’s insight community, while serving as a strategic advisor on the most effective approaches for gathering actionable customer feedback. 

The Director partners closely with stakeholders across the enterprise to translate business questions into research objectives, design and execute rapid research initiatives, and delivers insights that influence key business decisions. This position balances research rigor with speed, ensuring customer perspectives are integrated into decision making at the pace of business. 

• 4-year degree from an accredited college or university 

• 8+ of professional experience, demonstrating progressive growth and performance in consumer insights or market research 

• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative and quantitative customer research methods 

• Experience translating business challenges into research objectives and actionable recommendations 

• Experience leading cross-functional research initiatives involving multiple stakeholders 

• Experience leading international/multi-market primary research projects 

• Experience managing vendors, research platforms, and contracts with minimal supervision 

• Ability to synthesize large sets of complex data into concise, executive ready recommendations 

Preferred  

• Experience managing online insight communities 

• Experience with research platforms like Qualtrics, Alchemer, Fuel Cycle, Decipher, and AI moderation platforms 

• Knowledge of research governance, privacy, compliance, and responsible data use practices 

• Lead Marriott International’s agile customer research capability, including a global member insight community and other fast-turn research tools  

• Serve as a strategic research consultant to stakeholders by clarifying business questions, decision needs, timing, and the most appropriate insight approach 

• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative studies that balance speed, rigor, audience fit, budget, and business relevance 

• Manage research execution from intake and prioritization through sampling, programming, fielding, quality control, analysis, and delivery 

• Own the strategy, operations, and ongoing evolution of the company’s customer insight community, including community health, member engagement, activity planning, and subgroup participation. 

• Synthesize customer feedback and research findings into clear themes, implications, recommendations, and executive-ready deliverables 

• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to ensure insights are proactively integrated into their workstreams  

• Apply research governance, privacy, compliance, and responsible-use standards across studies, especially for sensitive topics, regional audiences, or personal data 

• Manage research platforms, vendors, contracts, documentation, and process improvements that support efficient, scalable, and high-quality insight delivery 

• Provide expertise on research, industry trends, and customer behavior 

• Provide guidance and a perspective on how historical research can be applied to a current business question 

• Generate and provide accurate and timely results in the form of reports and presentations