Director, Data; Audience & Cultural Insights

Who We Are:

At VML, Human First is our guiding creative philosophy: we create value for people first, knowing this drives authentic and sustainable brand impact. We are a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

We connect Brand Experience, Customer Experience, and Commerce to craft unified, emotionally resonant consumer journeys.

Our 26,000 people across 50-plus markets are the heart of our company. Their perspectives, local expertise, and cultural insights drive creativity and innovation, making talent our most critical competitive advantage.

VML is seeking a Director of Marketing Effectiveness & Intelligence with a focus on strategic insights and intelligence to serve as a critical partner to a QSR brand, translating data, research, and cultural intelligence into actionable insights that fuel brand relevance, consumer connection, and business growth. This role sits at the intersection of analytics, culture, and strategy and is responsible for uncovering human truths, identifying emerging consumer behaviors, and translating signals from data into clear opportunities for the brand to lead in culture.

This leader will work in close partnership with strategy, creative, and channel teams to ensure insights directly inform brand positioning, campaign development, content strategy, and channel execution. By embedding insight into the creative and strategic process, the Director will help shape ideas from inception through activation, ensuring work is culturally resonant, consumer‑led, and grounded in data. The Director will synthesize insights from a wide range of sources, including social listening, audience intelligence, brand tracking, culture trends, and internal business data, to develop a holistic understanding of what matters to consumers, how culture is shifting, and where the brand can authentically and strategically engage.

They will also be responsible for overseeing reporting and insight development across campaigns and organic social, ensuring performance data is translated into clear learnings, optimization opportunities, and forward‑looking recommendations.

• Analyze and synthesize data from social listening platforms, audience insight tools, brand trackers, cultural research, and internal business data to uncover consumer insights and human truths
• Partner closely with strategy, creative, and channel teams to embed insights into brand strategy, campaign development, content ideation, and channel planning
• Oversee reporting and insights across paid campaigns and organic social channels, translating performance data into actionable learnings and recommendations
• Monitor and interpret cultural, social, and behavioral trends to understand what is happening in culture and how the brand can strategically engage
• Identify business and brand opportunities rooted in consumer needs, emerging behaviors, and cultural moments
• Translate complex data into clear, compelling narratives and strategic recommendations for leadership and cross‑functional teams
• Collaborate with marketing, brand, social, media, and business teams to inform brand strategy, campaigns, innovation, and long‑term planning
• Develop frameworks and methodologies for integrating cultural intelligence with business and performance data
• Serve as a thought leader on consumer insights, culture, and data‑driven decision‑making across the organization
• Lead, mentor, and oversee the work of a team of insights analysts, providing direction, feedback, and development to ensure high‑quality and consistent output
• Set standards and best practices for insight generation, reporting, and storytelling across campaigns, social, and brand initiatives
• Define and evolve measurement frameworks and success metrics for brand health, social performance, and campaign effectiveness

• 10+ years of experience in strategic insights, analytics, marketing intelligence, or consumer insights, with experience working on large, culturally relevant consumer brands
• Proven ability to translate quantitative and qualitative data into actionable, forward‑looking insights that inform…