Insights Manager
$115k - $162k/yr
Senior, Expert
Bachelor's, Master's
Chicago, IL, USA
Hybrid
Growth & MarketingMarketing Generalist & Management
About the job
Requirements
- Six or more years of experience in consumer insights, market research, brand strategy, innovation research, or a related consumer packaged goods insights role; manufacturer-side experience is required.
- A bachelor's degree in Market Research, Consumer Sciences, Psychology, Marketing, or Business is required.
- Ability to manage multiple research projects simultaneously, prioritize competing needs, and keep work moving independently in a fast-paced environment.
- Hands-on experience with creative and innovation research, including concept, product, packaging, naming, claims, advertising, and communication learning.
- Working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including focus groups, in-depth interviews, online communities, ethnographies, concept testing, product testing, pack testing, creative testing, segmentation, attitude and usage studies, MaxDiff, TURF, conjoint, or related approaches.
- Ability to synthesize consumer, sensory, category, and business inputs into clear recommendations for brand and cross-functional teams.
- Project management and vendor management skills.
Responsibilities
- Provide consumer insights support across brands, categories, and projects, with primary support for Blue Bunny and Blue Ribbon Classics and flexible support for other brands as needed.
- Understand business questions, recommend appropriate research approaches, and move work forward independently.
- Manage end-to-end research projects, including learning plan development, vendor briefing, methodology selection, timeline management, analysis, synthesis, and stakeholder readouts.
- Apply qualitative and quantitative research techniques across innovation, product, packaging, brand, and communications work.
- Partner with Sensory, Brand, and Innovation teams to connect consumer understanding with product experience, concept fit, claims, pack communication, and go-to-market decisions.
- Translate research findings into concise implications, recommendations, and next steps to support team decisions.
- Prioritize and manage multiple projects across brands and workstreams, balancing urgency, business impact, budget, and stakeholder needs.
- Surface tradeoffs, risks, and resourcing constraints when project demand exceeds capacity, and recommend practical sequencing or scope adjustments.
- Identify where consumer learning is needed, where existing learning can be leveraged, and where a faster or lighter research approach is sufficient.
Desired Qualifications
- A master's degree is a plus.
- Experience from CPG, food, beverage, frozen, snacking, dessert, or other consumer-led categories is desirable.
- Experience with qualitative approaches such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, online communities, ethnographies, consumer immersions, shop-alongs, innovation workshops, and concept co-creation.
- Experience with quantitative approaches such as surveys, claims testing, advertising and creative testing, attitude and usage studies, TURF, conjoint, and discrete choice where appropriate.
- Strong initiative, sound judgment, comfort working through ambiguity, and the ability to clarify business questions and recommend practical approaches.
- Communication and collaboration skills.
About the company
Wells Enterprises manufactures and distributes over 900 varieties of ice cream and frozen novelties, including brands like Blue Bunny and Bomb Pop. The company operates four large-scale production plants across the United States to supply grocery stores, convenience stores, and foodservice providers nationwide. As the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the country, it maintains an independent family-run culture while operating as part of the global Ferrero Group. The company's goal is to provide a wide range of frozen treats to consumers through high-volume production and a national distribution network.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Le Mars, Iowa
Founded
1913
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 2026 Dunkirk ribbon-cutting confirms phases one and two are complete and funded.
- October 2025 Nutella and Kinder Bueno launches broaden premium freezer reach before spring 2026 distribution.
- April 2026 Trolli Gummi Pop Very Berry shows Wells still creates first-to-market textures and licensed innovation.
What critics are saying
- April 2025 plastic recall hit 22 products and remains a brand-trust scar.
- Dunkirk’s 2028 buildout depends on flawless execution; another safety incident would jeopardize Ferrero’s rollout.
- Ferrero’s ownership concentrates Wells inside one candy giant; strategic reprioritization could squeeze independent growth.
What makes Wells Enterprises unique
- Ferrero-backed Wells pairs ice cream scale with confectionery brands like Nutella and Kinder Bueno.
- Dunkirk’s $425 million transformation adds on-site Ferrero chocolate production, rare in U.S. frozen desserts.
- Wells owns nationwide novelty manufacturing across Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Trolli.
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Benefits
- Remote Work Options