Director, Innovation & Market Research; Automotive

The Director, Innovation & Market Research is responsible for covering the sectors & companies that matter most to Assurant to help support the overall strategy of the company. The candidate should possess a deep understanding of their coverage universe and will work closely with business leaders across Assurant to communicate relevant trends and opportunities within their industries. Looking for a fixed income, investment banking, or equity analyst, preferably with experience covering automotive retail, automotive manufacturing or auto insurance sectors.

The ideal candidate will be a big picture thinker, with the ability to connect-the-dots across an evolving landscape to spot key industry trends. The position offers high upside & visibility across the organization.

• Develop thought leadership on specific industries (automotive retail, automotive manufacturing and auto insurance) covering relevant trends across over 100 clients, prospects & competitors across our global footprint.
• Connect the dots across clients, businesses and geographies to form big picture views on major trends relevant to Assurant’s various business lines
• Write concise fundamental research publications with value-added perspectives and differentiated views, which ties external trends to opportunities & risks for Assurant.
• Oversee a market intelligence function that is strategic, proactive, and facilitates information and intelligence flows across various stakeholders:

• Business Leaders – leverage thought leadership to become an integral part of the leadership team of the relevant Assurant business line, providing market research & intellectual curiosity to support the overall businesses strategy to defend, develop & disrupt their respective industries
• Clients - interface directly with clients as part of RFP’s, quarterly business reviews, or brainstorming sessions, while providing concise summaries of key trends & potential opportunities for the CEO to review with key clients & prospects
• Investors - Provide CEO, CFO & Investor relations concise summary of key quarterly trends needed to prepare for quarterly earnings, investor day or investor meetings
• Board of Directors – Provide key trends for business unit deep dives with the board and CEO interim reports to Assurant’s Board of Directors
• Product Leaders – Complete business case analysis for new product opportunities for Assurant, as well as ongoing dialogue with product leaders, keeping them informed for client & competitor activity to ensure we are skating where the puck is going.
• Corp Development – Leverage sector expertise to help identify & diligence acquisition opportunities

• Requires 5+ years of fundamental market research covering a specific sector
• Experience covering the automotive retail, automotive manufacturing and/or auto insurance preferred
• Formal credit or equity training at a buy side or sell side firm
• MBA and/or CFA Charter (or progress towards) preferred
• Requires excellent oral, written, and presentation skills to effectively communicate the outcomes of research.
• Requires courage & conviction to advocate for potential opportunities & risks identified during fundamental research.
• Requires proven analytic skills to identify trends & quantify potential impacts & opportunities
• Requires well-honed interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with numerous work teams.
• Requires good organizational skills and the ability to complete multiple complex tasks in a timely fashion.
• Requires incumbent to be self‑motivated.

Pay Range:
$ - $

Any posted pay range considers a wide range of compensation factors, including candidate background, experience and work location, while also allowing for salary growth within the position.

If there is no posting end date listed then this is a pipeline requisition, and we will continue to collect applications on an ongoing basis.

Equal Opportunity Statement
Assurant is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not use or consider race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in employment decisions.