Consumer Manager Insights Contractor (6‑month contract)

About Liquid I.V.

This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions expected of the role. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. Ability to competently perform all the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, demonstrated commitment to the company’s mission, and the ability to work productively as a member of a team or work group are basic requirements of all positions at Liquid I.V.

We are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that not only embraces the diversity of our people but also reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work and the customers we serve. We know that the happiest and highest performing teams include people with diverse perspectives that encourage new ways of solving problems, so we strive to attract and develop talent from all backgrounds and create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

Liquid I.V. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

About our Team:

We are a world-class team of innovators and passionate change-makers, looking to develop transformative hydration solutions and make a meaningful impact on the world around us.  

At Liquid I.V., we are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that not only embraces the diversity of our people but also reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work and the customers we serve.    

Our team members enjoy a flexible and inclusive working environment, a highly collaborative and innovation-forward culture, generous benefits and perks that empower employees to champion their wellbeing every day, as well as an infinite supply of Liquid I.V. for extraordinary hydration. 
About the role:
Contractor, Consumer Insights Manager (6-Month Contract)

Liquid I.V. is looking for a highly skilled Contractor, Consumer Insights Manager to join our marketing team for a 6-month engagement. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Consumer Insights, this person will hit the ground running to support our Consumer Insights learning agenda.  

You’ll serve as the lead insights partner to our Upstream Innovation Brand Marketing team, guiding the development of our 3-year product innovation strategy. From flavor exploration, new form factors, and emerging functional benefits, your research will ensure our innovation plans are rooted in consumer preferences, attitudes, and behaviors.  

Functions and duties of this role include, but not limited to:

• Design, execute, and present quantitative and qualitative research to develop and optimize Liquid I.V.’s 3-year product innovation pipeline across Continuous Improvement, Core Expansion, and New Benefit pillars under innovation 

• Manage end-to-end research projects from inception to conclusion, including recommending appropriate methodologies, managing RFP process, and managing vendor relationships to ensure research meets desired objectives 

• Engage closely with product innovation and development, sensory insights, brand marketing, and sales teams to ensure an insights-driven approach to business strategy 

• Leverage syndicated data sources (i.e., Circana POS and panel data, etc.) to monitor and diagnose the brand/category and address ad-hoc business issues 

• Identify forward-looking consumer trends, cultural tensions, and category dynamics that inspire future product innovations that strengthen long-term brand equity 

• Collaborate with the Consumer Insights Senior Manager to ensure a seamless transition of consumer knowledge from Upstream product innovation development to Downstream go-to-market execution to shape comms strategy and messaging 

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree required in related field. Advanced degree a plus. 

• Minimum 5 years in consumer insights, market research, and/or marketing consultant roles, with experience in custom qualitative and quantitative consumer research.  

• 4+ years working in CPG brand preferred.  

• Well-versed in a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies (e.g., MaxDiff, conjoint, TURF) 

• Expertise in product innovation testing (i.e., from scrappy concept testing to full BASES) 

• Expertise in DIY survey programming tools/platforms (e.g., Suzy, Qualtrics, etc.). Robust experience with qual moderation a plus. 

• Strong stakeholder management skills - adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams with competing priorities 

• Data-driven storyteller - a clear communicator who can deliver findings in an engaging and impactful manner, leveraging insights to address business challenges 

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills - able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and quickly pivot when necessary 

• Proactive and results oriented - ability to work independently under ambiguous direction and has an innate sense of urgency/attention to deadlines 

• Expertise in POS syndicated data (e.g., Circana, Nielsen, SPINS) and panel data (e.g., Numerator) 

Work Environment:

• This role is HYBRID office environment (El Segundo, CA) with flexibility for industry events.  Occasional travel for consumer research (<10%). Los Angeles preferred, but will consider exceptionally strong remote candidates. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

The hourly rate for this contract position is $68/hr - $100/hr. The exact salary is determined by various factors including experience, skills, education, geographic location, internal company equity, and budget. The listed range is applicable only to the annual base salary and does not include additional perks, benefits, or applicable bonus eligibility comprising the total compensation package.

This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions expected of the role. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. Ability to competently perform all the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, demonstrated commitment to the company’s mission, and the ability to work productively as a member of a team or work group are basic requirements of all positions at Liquid I.V.

We are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that not only embraces the diversity of our people but also reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work and the customers we serve. We know that the happiest and highest performing teams include people with diverse perspectives that encourage new ways of solving problems, so we strive to attract and develop talent from all backgrounds and create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

Liquid I.V. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

You can find the Unilever privacy note here