Research Manager

Overview:

OverviewIDC is seeking a Research Manager for the Tech Buyer Data team, a pivotal new venture within IDC's TechMatch program. You will coordinate and drive the timely delivery of high-quality vendor data, research software markets, and help build and maintain the data backbone for IDC's AI-powered enterprise software sourcing platform. As a key leader, you will collaborate with subject matter experts, engineers, and product managers to deliver trusted, actionable intelligence to global technology buyers.

Why IDC?

IDC's mission is to provide clarity, confidence, and actionable insight in an increasingly complex technology landscape. We help IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions by transforming deep market expertise and data into trusted guidance. As part of the TechMatch team, you will work with a global group of analysts, engineers, and product managers to build, continuously improve and scale the data sources that power actionable, AI-driven software sourcing intelligence.

About IDC: International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global market intelligence, data, and events provider for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight help IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based technology decisions and achieve their key business objectives.

IDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, handicap, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, ancestry, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status or other categories protected by law.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities

• Coordinate process and communication with SMEs for timely, accurate delivery of vendor data.
• Research software markets, identifying key trends, vendor capabilities, and dynamics.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to align on master data structures, pipelines, and integration with IDC TechMatch.
• Research, explore data, and prototype new analytics capabilities for software vendor selection.
• Mentor junior team members to ensure quality and output volume targets are met for all data pipelines.
• Maintain and evolve metrics for data validation, quality assurance, and pipeline performance.
• Use AI tools to prepopulate, clean, and enrich datasets on IT vendors.
• Perform thorough quality assurance on platform and external data, identifying and remediating errors or inconsistencies.

Qualifications:

Qualifications (Required)

• 7+ years' experience as a Research Manager, Market Analyst, Data Manager, or equivalent in software/IT research, business intelligence, or analytics.
• Deep knowledge of the enterprise software landscape and technology vendor ecosystems.
• Project and stakeholder management skills, with a track record of executing in cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML tools for data cleaning, analysis, and feature prototyping.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with high attention to detail and process improvement.
• Outstanding communication and coaching/mentoring abilities.
• Ability to work independently and lead in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment.
• Advanced Excel (e.g. pivot, flat file, vlookup, offset, match)
• Open feedback mindset (disagree and commit, candor)

Qualifications (additional)

• Experience with LLM Chat interface search and Web data analysis (e.g. Perplexity, ChatGPT Deep Research)
• Team management experience
• Advanced presentation and Power Point creation skills
• Previous experience in companies providing evaluation, benchmarking, vendor comparison solutions in software/cloud/IT space