About this role
The Global Associate Director, Category and Consumer Intelligence (CCI) for Wella Professionals Color is responsible for generating actionable insights on stylists, clients, markets, and competitors to shape growth strategies for the Wella Professionals Color business worldwide. This role acts as the strategic intelligence partner to Brand, Innovation, R&D, Education, Commercial, and regional teams, transforming insights into clear business recommendations that shape brand innovation, communication and education programs, strengthen brand equity, identify growth opportunities, and maximize innovation success.
Responsibilities
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Lead the insights generation program for Wella Professionals hair color with stylists and clients
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Conduct qualitative and quantitative research with stylists, salon owners, and consumers to inform innovation, portfolio, education, and communication strategies
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Translate insights into actionable recommendations that influence business decisions, commercial outcomes, and the success of new product developments, commercial activations, and education for professional color
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Prioritize learning agendas and ensure a clear connection between insights investments and strategic business priorities
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Provide strategic and insights support to Global Marketing, Education, R&D, and regional/local teams
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Serve as a strategic thought partner to cross-functional teams, embedding consumer, stylist, category, and market intelligence into key business decisions
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Represent the voice of hair stylists and their clients; develop deep expertise on stylist and client journeys, behaviors, attitudes, pain points, and decision drivers to ground business strategies, innovation pipelines, and educational programs in real-world needs
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Monitor trends, market conditions, stylist and competitive landscape evolution to inform necessary course corrections
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Support business cases, portfolio reviews, innovation assessments, and strategic planning with data-driven insights and opportunity sizing
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Influence senior stakeholders by translating complex information into clear strategic implications
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Assess new revenue opportunities in professional hair color and identify, evaluate, and prioritize growth opportunities across sub-categories, occasions, services, technologies, business models, and adjacent segments
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Lead opportunity sizing, consumer validation, and commercial attractiveness assessments to support resource allocation decisions
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Partner with Marketing, R&D, Commercial, and Finance to develop evidence-based business cases for innovation and expansion opportunities
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Share and apply research best practices and methodologies from the broader Insights team; drive excellence in research design, execution, and impact measurement; standardize methodologies and tools for efficiency and comparability; ensure rigorous standards and innovation across projects
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Key Stakeholders
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Internal: SVP Global Wella Professionals, SVP Strategy and Insights, Sr Director Strategy and Insights, Sr Marketing Director for Professional Hair Color, Global Color Brand Team, Innovation & Portfolio Teams, R&D
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Education and Experience
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Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree or MBA preferred
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10+ years in Insights, including a minimum of 5 years in a B2B context and at least 5 years in a global role
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Professional beauty or adjacent premium consumer goods experience preferred
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Proven track record in designing and executing global research programs
Skills
- Deep knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in B2B and B2C settings
- Ability to convert research outcomes into actionable business recommendations and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority
- Strong presentation skills with the ability to translate complex data into executive recommendations and narratives
- Capacity to synthesize complex information into compelling executive stories
- Ability to collaborate effectively in a multifunctional team
- Strong analytical capabilities and a passion for identifying future opportunities and driving growth
- Strong research vendor negotiation skills