Research Consultant - Chicago/Hybrid

Research Consultant Chicago, IL (Hybrid) Alexander Group: The Go-to-Market Consulting Leaders Alexander Group provides go-to-market consulting services to marketing, sales, service and talent leaders. With over 40 years of developing practical, executable solutions, we are singularly focused on helping commercial teams unlock their full potential and reach new revenue goals. Founded in 1985, we’ve served more than 3,000 companies around the world, across all industries. Our experience gives us not only a sophisticated set of best practices to design go-to-market strategy—we also have a rich repository of industry data that informs our recommendations. Our dedication to sales strategy and revenue growth has led to: More than 70% of our clients being Fortune 500 corporations Project work in more than 25 countries Extensive industry experience in B2B markets Position Overview The Research Consultant will be a senior individual contributor within Alexander Group’s Analytics & Research team, responsible for developing high-quality, insight-rich research that advances AGI’s intellectual property, supports client engagements, and strengthens the firm’s market perspective on go-to-market strategy. This role is ideal for a seasoned business research, advisory, or consulting professional who can translate qualitative and quantitative information into compelling research stories, executive-ready frameworks, practical recommendations, and publication-quality deliverables. The Research Consultant will work closely with executive research sponsors, practice leaders, subject matter experts, and consulting teams to shape research agendas, test hypotheses, synthesize findings, and produce client-facing insights. The Research Consultant will be expected to operate with a high level of ownership and independence while remaining highly practical, business-oriented, and focused on helping clients solve real go-to-market challenges. The role is designed for individual contributors with significant business research or consulting experience, and the current recruiting context specifically emphasizes candidates with go-to-market research experience, including former advisory-firm or analyst-firm talent. There is an opportunity to grow into broader research leadership responsibilities over time, including expanded ownership of research strategy, research team development, executive-level thought leadership, and future Research Manager responsibilities. Responsibilities Research Strategy, Analytics and Fact-Finding Investigate and recommend first- and third-party data sources, research partners, and data collection approaches for both qualitative and quantitative research Design and orchestrate research methodologies, including data collection plans, interview approaches, survey inputs, timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation plans Develop research hypotheses that align to the overall research story, including primary and secondary hypotheses, key questions to test, and themes to validate with executive sponsors and subject matter experts Analyze qualitative inputs to identify best practices, case examples, emerging themes, and executive-relevant implications Integrate quantitative analysis into research outputs to strengthen explanatory value, support findings, and create more compelling insight narratives Leverage Alexander Group benchmarks, market data, interviews, surveys, client experience, and secondary research to build well-supported perspectives on go-to-market trends and practices Solution Development and Thought Leadership Design new research frameworks, models, and solution concepts that expand AGI intellectual property in relevant topic areas Connect new research frameworks to existing AGI methodologies, benchmarks, consulting experience, and subject matter expertise Develop deep subject matter expertise in multiple go-to-market topic areas, such as sales strategy, account management, customer success, revenue operations, sales compensation, marketing, service, AI-enabled commercial models, or industry-specific growth practices Translate research findings into practical recommendations that are innovative, business-relevant, and actionable for executive audiences Contribute to AGI intellectual property, including research reports, articles, white papers, client-ready frameworks, executive presentations, virtual roundtables, and other market-facing content Deliverable Creation Develop the core storyboard for research deliverables, ensuring the narrative is clear, compelling, logically structured, and executive-ready Own the creation of client-facing and publication-ready research materials in multiple formats, including PowerPoint decks, written reports, executive summaries, frameworks, case examples, and readout materials Prepare materials for executive sponsor reviews, internal research meetings, client readouts, and external-facing events Work closely with executive research sponsors, practice leaders, consulting teams, and other experts to incorporate feedback and tailor research outputs to business priorities Finalize high-quality materials with limited oversight, ensuring content is proofread, data is reviewed, charts are accurate, formatting is polished, and style is consistent with AGI standards Create research deliverables that balance analytical rigor, concise storytelling, and practical relevance for senior commercial leaders Communication and Stakeholder Management Prepare agendas for and lead research check-ins with executive sponsors, practice leaders, subject matter experts, and internal project teams Conduct executive interviews with external research participants, clients, and senior stakeholders Prepare for and present research readouts to clients and internal audiences, tailoring depth, emphasis, and language to the audience’s role, level, and business priorities Facilitate discussions that test hypotheses, surface executive insight, validate findings, and refine final research conclusions Communicate complex research findings in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner through both written and oral presentations Build trusted working relationships with internal sponsors, consulting teams, research participants, and senior client contacts Project Management and Team Development Create detailed research project plans that include workstreams, milestones, owners, timelines, dependencies, and deliverable expectations Execute against project plans while adapting to roadblocks, scope changes, data limitations, and emerging research findings Identify potential issues early, develop mitigation options, and communicate risks or constraints to project leaders and sponsors Ensure timely completion of research deliverables while maintaining high standards for quality, rigor, and business relevance Mentor junior team members by expanding their research, analysis, storytelling, and project management capabilities Provide coaching, feedback, and development input to project leaders on team member strengths, growth areas, and training needs Requirements Candidates MUST BE fully authorized at the time of application to work in the United States without current or future need for visa sponsorship. TN visa accepted. 6-8+ years of relevant professional experience in business research, management consulting, advisory services, go-to-market strategy, B2B sales strategy, revenue operations, commercial analytics, or a related field Experience in an analyst, advisory, or thought leadership environment preferred Demonstrated expertise in go-to-market topics such as sales strategy, revenue growth, account management, customer success, marketing, service, sales compensation, commercial operations, AI in sales/service, or industry-specific commercial models Strong ability to develop hypotheses, structure research questions, synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings, and build compelling storylines Excellent executive interviewing skills, including the ability to engage senior leaders, probe for insight, and translate conversations into research findings Strong analytical skills, including comfort working with survey data, benchmark data, market data, financial or operational metrics, and qualitative interview inputs Experience using AI tools; ability to validate outputs and apply sound judgment is essential Ability to create polished, executive-ready deliverables in PowerPoint and written formats Strong business acumen and ability to connect research findings to practical commercial implications Exceptional written and verbal communication skills Strong interpersonal and team-working skills, with the ability to collaborate across research, consulting, analytics, marketing, and practice leadership teams High degree of intellectual curiosity, motivation, flexibility, and creativity Ability to manage multiple workstreams independently while maintaining attention to detail and quality MBA or another advanced degree in business, economics, marketing, organizational psychology, social science, analytics, or a related discipline preferred. Undergraduate degree required Preferred Experience Prior experience at an advisory, analyst, consulting, benchmarking, research, or executive insights organization Experience producing research reports, executive briefs, white papers, market studies, maturity models, benchmarking studies, or industry trend reports Experience presenting research findings to senior executives, clients, or external audiences Experience with survey design, executive interviews, data collection methodology, benchmark development, or mixed-methods research Experience in B2B industries, especially technology, media, business services, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, private equity, or other commercial growth-oriented sectors Salary Range: $150,000 – 200,000; bonus eligible EEO Employer. Required Work Eligibility: Must be eligible to work in the U.S. at the time of application with no current or future restrictions or visa sponsorship necessary. TN visa accepted. #J-18808-Ljbffr