Director, Market Research

Director, Market Research

Brightstar is an innovative, forward-thinking global leader in lottery that builds on our renowned expertise in delivering secure technology and producing reliable, comprehensive solutions for our customers. As a premier pure play global lottery company, our best-in-class lottery operations, retail and digital solutions, and award-winning lottery games enable our customers to achieve their goals, fulfill player needs and distribute meaningful benefits to communities. Brightstar has a well-established local presence and is a trusted partner to governments and regulators around the world, creating value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. Brightstar has approximately 6,000 employees.

Brightstar Lottery's Global Market Research & Insights team is a strategic function supporting internal business units and engaging directly with B2B customers. This Director-level role is pivotal in shaping research strategy, influencing decision-making, and driving initiatives that impact the company's success in the U.S. lottery market. The position spans three key areas:

• Lead and execute the U.S. market research program to deliver actionable insights for business growth.
• Manage contractual research programs for lottery customers, strengthening relationships and positioning Brightstar as an industry thought leader.
• Advise and support internal teamsincluding Sales and Business Developmentwith jurisdictional-level research to inform strategic decisions.

This role directs and oversees the delivery of comprehensive market insights to support Brightstar's lottery product development, game content, marketing communications, operations, and customer engagement. Responsibilities include managing external research vendors, developing innovative research tools, analyzing complex data sets, and presenting insights to senior executives and customers. The Director will also maintain a knowledge base of secondary research and share strategic insights across the organization. This position requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage a broad functional area while driving continuous improvement and leveraging technology for process optimization.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership
• Partner with senior management to set research objectives aligned with business strategy.
• Lead the U.S. Market Research team, fostering innovation and continuous improvement.
• Represent Brightstar at industry events and provide thought leadership.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Build strong relationships with executives and senior leaders across Sales, Product, Marketing, and Business Development.
• Ensure alignment of goals, timelines, and expectations for research initiatives.
• Research Strategy & Execution
• Oversee primary and secondary research programs supporting product strategy, game development, marketing, and executive-level requests.
• Manage Agile research tools and internal survey platforms for rapid insights.
• Customer-Facing Research
• Deliver end-to-end management of customer-funded research projects.
• Present findings to lottery clients and senior leadership.
• Vendor & Budget Management
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality and compliance.
• Develop and monitor the U.S. research budget in collaboration with Finance.
• Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Improvement
• Host monthly departmental meetings to share insights and best practices.
• Suggest innovative methodologies and tools to enhance research quality and efficiency.

Qualifications:

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Deep understanding of lottery industry and market research best practices
• Ability to influence and collaborate with senior executives
• Proven track record of translating data into strategic insights
• Strong leadership and team development skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• High-level project management and organizational skills
• Comfort working across cultures and time zones
• Strategic mindset with adaptability under pressure

Qualifications & Experience:

• Proven leadership in market research roles at a senior level
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field (Master's preferred)
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and external vendors
• Familiarity with advanced research tools and methodologies
• Extensive experience in the lottery industry (preferred)

Keys to Success:

• Building collaborative relationships
• Decision making
• Drive results
• Foster innovation
• Personal energy
• Self-leadership

At Brightstar, we consider a wide range of factors in determining compensation, including background, skills, experience, and work location. These factors can cause your compensation to vary. The estimated starting compensation range is $117,880- $240,000. The actual pay offered may end up being higher or lower. The Company will comply with all local pay requirements and collective bargaining agreements, where applicable. Base pay is only one part of our Total Rewards program. Sales roles may be eligible for commission payments, while other roles are eligible for discretionary bonuses. In addition, we offer employees a 401(k) Savings Plan with Company contributions, health, dental, and vision insurance, life, accident, and disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, wellness programs, and identity theft insurance. Note: programs are subject to eligibility requirements. All Brightstar employees have a role in information security. Annual training will be assigned and required as appropriate. IGT is committed to sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the global customers and communities we serve, and to creating a fair and inclusive culture that enables all our employees to feel valued, respected and engaged. IGT is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, citizenship, covered veteran status, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable local, state, federal laws or other laws. We thank all applicants for applying; however, only those selected to interview will be contacted.