Posted July 16, 2025

Director of Research Partnerships

The Vision Council of America  | VA, US

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The Director of Research Partnerships will be responsible for driving and managing all aspects of our market research sales efforts. This role will define and productize our research “offerings,” cultivate and close new business relationships, and partner closely with internal research teams to deliver tailored quantitative, qualitative and syndicated solutions. The successful incumbent will meet annual revenue targets of $1M starting in 2026, develop pricing frameworks and new product offerings, and serve as a strategic advisor to both the research and marketing teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Revenue Generation & Pipeline Management
  • Own the full sales cycle: lead prospecting, qualification, scoping, proposal development and closing.
  • Target and exceed $1M in research sales by the end of 2026, with interim milestones ($600K in 2025).
  • Leverage HubSpot CRM to build and manage a high-velocity B2B funnel, automated nurture sequences, and account-based marketing strategies.
• Productization
  • Collaborate with research team to create a clear, tiered product catalog with defined scopes, deliverables and pricing tiers.
  • Package historical data and syndicated trackers into subscription/licensing models.
  • Ideate event- or seasonally-themed insight bundles.
• Client & Partner Relationship Management
  • Build long-term partnerships with members, member prospects, and non-member clients (including banks, consulting firms, and technology companies).
  • Conduct consultative, solution-selling discussions for complex research programs.
  • Serve as primary liaison between research teams and clients to ensure scope alignment, on-time delivery and client satisfaction.

• Sales Enablement & Team Leadership
  • Develop scoping templates, proposal decks and product cards to streamline research team collaboration.
  • Work with internal marketing team to align campaigns (webinars, gated reports) to sales objectives.
  • Provide regular sales forecasts, pipeline updates and performance insights to executive leadership and the board.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Statistics or related field.
• 7+ years of quota-carrying B2B sales experience, with at least 3 years selling custom market research or insights services. Experience with the optical industry is a bonus.
• Proven track record closing complex, long-cycle deals in a consultative sales environment.
• Strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to productize services into tiered packages and subscription/licensing models.
• Hands-on experience with HubSpot CRM or similar platforms; familiarity with account-based marketing, nurture email sequences and lead scoring.
• Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Comfort engaging with C-suite executives.
• Self-starter mentality, unafraid to take initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit.

A good sense of humor and easily builds genuine relationships with coworkers and clients.

• Base Salary: $90,000 – $110,000, commensurate with experience and location
• Commission: 7% on net new sales; 3% on renewals/expansions (when actively involved)
• Bonus: Annual incentive bonus of 10% for meeting personal and organizational goals
• Benefits: Health, dental, vision insurance; generous 401(k) match; paid time off; professional development allowance; flexible work arrangements

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