Market Research Manager

Location: Auckland City Campus, Auckland, New Zealand; hybrid and remote working patterns available

Salary: NZ$114,400–NZ$154,800 per year; typical target range NZ$115,000–NZ$135,000

Company

hirify.global is a large and complex university serving more than 50,000 students across education, research, innovation, and community engagement.

What you will do

• Build and lead a strategic market research and insights function within the Planning and Information Office.
• Support decisions on student recruitment, retention, brand positioning, academic portfolio development, and research and innovation opportunities.
• Translate quantitative and qualitative research, forecasting, segmentation, and advanced analytics into practical recommendations.
• Provide insights to executive leaders and influence strategic planning across Marketing and Recruitment, Planning, Academic Divisions, and Research and Innovation.
• Establish research frameworks, governance processes, tools, platforms, and best-practice ways of working.
• Build team capability and lead organisational change as the function develops.

Requirements

• Significant experience leading market research, insights, or customer intelligence functions in a large and complex organisation.
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, forecasting, segmentation, and advanced analytics.
• Experience establishing research frameworks, governance processes, tools, or platforms for strategic decision-making.
• Proven people leadership experience, including building capability, leading teams, and developing high-performing functions.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to communicate complex analysis as clear recommendations for senior leaders.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in marketing, data science, business, social sciences, or a related discipline.

Nice to have

• Postgraduate qualification.
• Experience in customer insights, consumer intelligence, commercial strategy, consulting, public sector insights, higher education strategy, or research agencies.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time permanent employment with a 37.5-hour working week, flexible hours, and hybrid or remote working patterns.
• Up to 6.75% superannuation, annual salary increases, and a performance-based multiplier.
• Five weeks of annual leave and an additional leave buy/sell scheme.
• Parental, childcare, wellbeing, health insurance, and employee assistance benefits.
• Professional, leadership, digital capability, cultural, Te Ao Māori, and Te Reo Māori development programmes.
• Access to internal design, media production, audience, web and digital, AI and automation, Māori, and Pacific specialist expertise.

Hiring process

• Submit an online application with a cover letter and CV by Friday, 16 October 2026.
• Reasonable accommodations and support people may be arranged during the recruitment process.