Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Knowledge Research Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a highly motivated and intellectually curious Knowledge Research Analyst to join our dynamic team. In this pivotal role, you will be the engine of our strategic intelligence efforts, responsible for gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing vast amounts of information to generate actionable insights that drive business decisions. You will delve into market trends, competitive landscapes, and emerging technologies, transforming raw data into compelling narratives that empower our leadership. The ideal candidate is a natural-born investigator with a passion for connecting the dots and a talent for communicating complex ideas with clarity and impact.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Analyst / Research Assistant
Data Coordinator / Business Analyst
Academic Researcher / Librarian

Advancement To:

Senior Knowledge Research Analyst
Competitive Intelligence Manager
Research & Insights Lead / Strategy Manager

Lateral Moves:

Data Scientist / Data Analyst
Business Intelligence Developer
Product Manager / Market Strategist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive primary and secondary research on key industry trends, market dynamics, and customer behaviors to inform long-term strategic planning.
Synthesize complex information from disparate sources, including market reports, academic journals, news articles, and internal data, into clear and actionable insights.
Develop and maintain a robust competitive intelligence framework, continuously monitoring competitor activities, product strategies, and market positioning.
Author and publish in-depth research reports, thought leadership articles, white papers, and executive-level presentations that communicate key findings and strategic recommendations.
Manage and curate the organization's internal knowledge base and content management systems, ensuring information is accurate, current, and easily accessible.
Translate complex business questions into well-defined research plans, selecting the most appropriate methodologies and data sources to deliver robust answers.
Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, opportunities, and potential threats to the business, presenting findings through compelling data visualizations.
Collaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams (including Product, Marketing, and Sales) to provide data-driven support for new initiatives and projects.
Design and execute custom research projects, including surveys, interviews with subject matter experts, and focus groups, to fill critical knowledge gaps.
Present research findings and strategic insights to diverse audiences, from technical teams to C-suite executives, adapting communication style for maximum impact.
Identify and evaluate new research tools, data vendors, and information sources to continuously enhance the team's research capabilities.
Develop and maintain a network of internal and external subject matter experts to leverage for targeted insights and industry perspectives.
Forecast market trends and model potential scenarios based on economic, technological, and competitive shifts.
Provide rapid-response research and analysis on breaking news and events that could impact the company or its industry.
Champion a culture of data-informed decision-making by proactively sharing relevant insights and training colleagues on research best practices.
Evaluate the credibility, validity, and reliability of information from various sources to ensure the integrity of all research outputs.
Support the strategic planning process by providing foundational research on potential new markets, customer segments, and business opportunities.
Create and manage standardized reporting dashboards that track key performance indicators and market intelligence metrics over time.
Translate unstructured information and qualitative feedback into structured data sets for systematic analysis and tracking.
Partner with the data analytics team to integrate external research data with internal operational data for a holistic view of the business landscape.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis from various business stakeholders.
Contribute to the organization's broader data strategy and the development of its knowledge management roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate high-level data needs into specific, actionable engineering and data science requirements.
Participate in sprint planning, retrospectives, and other agile ceremonies within the data and insights team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including survey design and interview techniques.
Expertise in using data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio) to create insightful dashboards and reports.
Strong command of SQL for querying relational databases to extract and manipulate complex datasets.
Experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, or Python with pandas/matplotlib libraries) for deeper analysis.
Mastery of online research databases and platforms (e.g., Gartner, Forrester, Bloomberg, Factiva, IBISWorld).
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with expert-level skills in Excel (pivot tables, modeling) and PowerPoint (storytelling).
Experience with knowledge management systems and content repositories (e.g., SharePoint, Confluence, Guru).
Familiarity with web scraping tools and techniques for gathering public data.
Strong understanding of financial statement analysis and market sizing methodologies.
Ability to conduct thorough patent and intellectual property research.

Soft Skills

Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills with a proven ability to connect disparate information.
Superior written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for storytelling with data.
Insatiable intellectual curiosity and a proactive, self-starter mindset.
Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build relationships across all levels of the organization.
Excellent project management and organizational abilities, capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
High degree of adaptability and comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
Collaborative team player with a problem-solving attitude.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree (e.g., MBA, MLIS, MS in Economics, Statistics, or Market Research)

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration, Economics, Statistics, Finance
Market Research, Library & Information Science, Social Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years in a research, intelligence, or analyst role.

Preferred: Direct experience in a management consulting firm, corporate strategy team, investment research, or a dedicated market/competitive intelligence function is highly desirable.