The Research Manager is responsible for leading consumer and market research activities to support brand growth, product innovation, and commercial decision-making across LOF’s domestic and international markets.
- This role acts as a strategic business partner to Brand, Trade Marketing, Sales, and R&D teams by translating complex data and consumer insights into clear, actionable recommendations that drive brand performance, successful NPD launches, and long-term market competitiveness.
- The role requires strong analytical expertise, research leadership, and the ability to independently manage multiple research workstreams while ensuring high methodological rigor and business relevance.
Key Responsibilities
1 Cross-functional Collaboration & Business Partnering
- Work independently and collaboratively with Brand, Trade Marketing, Sales, and R&D teams to define research objectives aligned with business priorities.
- Translate market data and consumer insights into clear business implications, opportunities, and strategic recommendations.
- Act as the internal point-of-contact for all research-related inputs supporting brand planning, portfolio strategy, pricing, and innovation decisions.
- Present research findings effectively to senior stakeholders, including Marketing Director, Commercial leadership, and cross-functional forums.
2. Quantitative Research & Market Performance Tracking
- Lead the monitoring, analysis, and reporting of Nielsen RMS, CPS, and Kantar Worldpanel (KWP) data.
- Track category trends, brand performance, market shares, pricing, distribution, and competitive dynamics.
- Conduct deep-dive analyses by: Channel (GT, MT, E-commerce, School, etc.), Geography (national, regional, provincial), Product/formats/price tiers
- Provide practical, insight-driven business recommendations, not just descriptive reporting.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy in reporting dashboards, monthly/quarterly business reviews, and ad-hoc analyses.
3. New Product Development (NPD) Research
- Design, manage, and evaluate consumer research programs supporting NPD, including: Concept Product Testing (CPT), Central Location Testing (CLT), In-Home Testing (IHT)
- Work closely with R&D and Marketing teams to refine product concepts, formulations, packaging, claims, and pricing.
- Interpret test results to support go/no-go decisions, optimization opportunities, and launch readiness.
- Build learning accumulation across projects to strengthen LOF’s innovation capability and success rate.
4. Qualitative Research & Consumer Insights Generation
- Plan and execute qualitative research projects, including: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), In-depth interviews (IDIs), Consumer surveys (quant-qual hybrid where applicable)
- Develop discussion guides, questionnaires, and screening criteria aligned with learning objectives.
- Synthesize qualitative insights into consumer truths, motivations, unmet needs, and emotional drivers.
- Ensure insights are translated into inspiring, business-relevant implications for brand positioning, communication, and innovation.
5. International & Ad-hoc Research Projects
- Support research needs for international markets (e.g., Indonesia, Cambodia and other LOF priority markets).
- Manage ad-hoc research assignments as required by the business, including competitive benchmarking, market entry studies, and post-launch evaluations.
6. Research Governance:
- Ensure adherence to research best practices, ethical standards, and LOF guidelines.
- Optimize research processes, tools, and methodologies to improve speed-to-insight and business impact.
- Coordinate with external research agencies to ensure quality, cost efficiency, and timely delivery.
- Work with shared-service admin support to manage contracts, paperwork, and payment processes under clear governance
*Work location: 217 Nguyen Van Thu Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
*Working hours: 44 hours/week, Monday to Friday & Saturday mornings (flexible work-from-home option available).
Position Requirement:
1. Education level
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Marketing, Business Administration, Statistics, Economics, Psychology, or related fields.
- A master’s degree (MBA, Marketing, or Data/Analytics) is a plus.
- Language and tools:
- Strong proficiency in English (written and spoken).
- Advanced skills in PowerPoint and Excel; experience with data dashboards/BI tools is a plus.
2. Year of Experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in FMCG market research (dairy, beverage, or nutrition categories preferred).
- Strong hands-on experience with Nielsen RMS and Kantar Worldpanel (KWP) data.
- Proven track record in managing NPD research projects (CPT, CLT, IHT).
- Experience working with and managing external research agencies.
- Demonstrated ability to manage or lead a research team/function is preferred (Senior Manager level).
3. Core skills
Functional & Technical Competencies
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Deep understanding of FMCG consumer behavior and research methodologies.
- Ability to translate data into clear stories, insights, and business actions.
- Solid project management and vendor management capability.
Business & Leadership Competencies
- Strategic mindset with strong commercial acumen.
- Results-oriented with high ownership and accountability.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
- Effective stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Communication & Storytelling
- Excellent presentation and storytelling skills with senior stakeholders.
- Ability to simplify complex data into compelling, decision-ready messages.
Personal Attributes
- Curious, proactive, and learning-oriented.
- High attention to detail with strong quality standards.
- Collaborative, yet confident in challenging assumptions constructively.
- Integrity-driven and compliant with professional research ethics.
4. Leadership & Collaboration Skills
- Work independently and collaboratively with Brand, Trade Marketing, Sales, and R&D teams to define research objectives aligned with business priorities.
- Act as the internal point-of-contact for all research-related inputs supporting brand planning, portfolio strategy, pricing, and innovation decisions.
- Work with shared-service admin support to manage contracts, paperwork, and payment processes under clear governance
5. What we offer
- High autonomy, high accountability, Regional & International Exposure
- Opportunity to elevate the research function and grow toward senior insight, marketing, or regional leadership roles.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
