Research And Development Director Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Lead Where Data Meets Insight

We're looking for a leader who can bring depth in either data & analytics or market research — not necessarily a unicorn who's equally elite at both. If you're a sharp analytics mind who can hold your own in a research conversation, or a seasoned researcher who's comfortable navigating dashboards and data infrastructure, we want to talk. What matters most is the ability to connect the dots between the two disciplines, lead a team that spans both, and translate their combined output into insights that move client marketing forward. You’ll strengthen how data and research work together at Meyocks — building on a strong collaborative foundation and helping the team deliver more integrated client insights.

Summary

The Director of Data & Analytics is a member of the Digital Delivery team at Meyocks, leading a small multidisciplinary team of marketing analysts and marketing researchers. This hands-on leadership role combines team development and strategic oversight with direct contribution to client work across marketing analytics, research, advanced analytics and performance insights.

The ideal candidate brings leadership experience, with deep expertise in either marketing analytics or marketing research and working fluency across both disciplines. You will collaborate with account service, paid media, web development, creative, and leadership teams to turn data and research into insights that improve marketing strategy, execution and business outcomes.

Success in this role requires intellectual curiosity, strong technical and analytical judgement and an AI-forward, experimentation-oriented mindset. The Director will actively explore emerging technologies, experiment with new approaches, and help the team responsibly apply AI, automation, and advanced analytics to improve the quality, speed, and impact of its work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Data Analysis & Insights
  • Analyzing marketing performance, survey, customer, and market data to assess effectiveness, identify trends, and inform strategic decisions
  • Translating complex data into visually compelling, actionable insights and presenting findings to internal teams and clients.
• Data Infrastructure & Technology Oversight
  • Overseeing the MarTech and data stack, including pipelines, APIs, ELT tools, and Snowflake data warehouse.
  • Establishing and maintaining standards for data structure, naming conventions, warehouse organization, SQL development, and data transformation to improve scalability, consistency, and reporting efficiency.
  • Guiding and contributing to development of reporting dashboards (Tableau) to deliver actionable insights for internal teams and client stakeholders.
• Advanced Analytics & Research
  • Leading the development of advanced analytics solutions, including predictive modeling, segmentation, regression analysis, and factor analysis to solve business challenges.
  • Leading and supporting the primary research function, setting methodology standards and reviewing research design to ensure findings are translated into clear, actionable recommendations for clients and internal teams.
  • Identifying and leading opportunities to combine research, performance data, advanced analytics, and emerging AI capabilities to develop new approaches to client marketing challenges.
• Team Mentorship & Development
  • Leading, mentoring, and developing the data analytics and research team, establishing clear expectations and maintaining high standards for execution.
  • Establishing and refining workflows, best practices, training, and development opportunities that improve team capabilities and efficiency.
  • Managing individual and team performance through regular coaching, goal-setting, feedback, and performance evaluations.
  • Contributing to agency thought leadership and industry visibility as appropriate
• Additional responsibilities and supporting tasks as needed.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong technical fluency in SQL and working knowledge of Python and/or R, with the ability to guide team members across data modeling, querying, automation, and analytical workflows.
• Experience with modern marketing data and business intelligence ecosystems, including platforms such as Tableau, Google Analytics, paid media platforms, CRM systems, APIs, ELT/ETL tools, and cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake.
• Strong ability to interpret, synthesize, and communicate complex data and research findings as clear, strategic, and actionable recommendations for clients and internal teams.
• Strong knowledge of marketing research methodologies, including survey design, sampling, qualitative and quantitative approaches, segmentation, and research interpretation.
• Working knowledge of statistical and advanced analytics methods, including hypothesis testing, experimental design, predictive analytics, segmentation modeling, and machine learning concepts.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across data, analytics, and research, with the ability to align technical execution with marketing and business objectives.
• Working knowledge of data privacy, governance, and responsible data practices, including relevant regulations such as GDPR, CCPA and HIPAA.
• Demonstrated curiosity and practical experience applying AI, automation, or emerging analytical technologies, with the judgment to evaluate their appropriate use, limitations, and business value
• Strong judgment and attention to detail, with accountability for the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, and quality of data, research, and insights delivered to stakeholders.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, data analytics, statistics, business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in data analysis, marketing analytics, or market research, with at least 3 years of leadership experience.
• Agency experience preferred.

Other Requirements:

• Occasional travel will be required for client meetings, conferences, professional training, or team collaboration sessions.
• Availability for occasional after-hours work to meet deadlines or accommodate client needs.