The Research Manager is responsible for leading consumer and market research activities to support brand growth, product innovation, and commercial decision-making across LOF's domestic and international markets.
This role acts as a strategic business partner to Brand,
Trade Marketing, Sales, and R&D teams by translating complex data and consumer insights into clear, actionable recommendations that drive brand performance, successful NPD launches, and long-term market competitiveness.
The role requires strong analytical expertise, research leadership, and the ability to independently manage multiple research workstreams while ensuring high methodological rigor and business relevance.
Key Responsibilities
1 Cross-functional Collaboration & Business Partnering
Work independently and collaboratively with Brand, Trade Marketing, Sales, and R&D teams to define research objectives aligned with business priorities.
Translate market data and consumer insights into clear business implications, opportunities, and strategic recommendations.
Act as the internal point-of-contact for all research-related inputs supporting brand planning, portfolio strategy, pricing, and innovation decisions.
Present research findings effectively to senior stakeholders, including Marketing Director, Commercial leadership, and cross-functional forums.
2. Quantitative Research & Market Performance Tracking
Lead the monitoring, analysis, and reporting of Nielsen RMS, CPS, and Kantar Worldpanel (KWP) data.
Track category trends, brand performance, market shares, pricing, distribution, and competitive dynamics.
Conduct deep-dive analyses by: Channel (GT, MT, E-commerce, School, etc.), Geography (national, regional, provincial), Product/formats/price tiers
Provide practical, insight-driven business recommendations, not just descriptive reporting.
Ensure consistency and accuracy in reporting dashboards, monthly/quarterly business reviews, and ad-hoc analyses.
3. New Product Development (NPD) Research
Design, manage, and evaluate consumer research programs supporting NPD, including: Concept Product Testing (CPT), Central Location Testing (CLT), In-Home Testing (IHT)
Work closely with R&D and Marketing teams to refine product concepts, formulations, packaging, claims, and pricing.
Interpret test results to support go/no-go decisions, optimization opportunities, and launch readiness.
Build learning accumulation across projects to strengthen LOF's innovation capability and success rate.
4. Qualitative Research & Consumer Insights Generation
Plan and execute qualitative research projects, including: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), In-depth interviews (IDIs), Consumer surveys (quant-qual hybrid where applicable)
Develop discussion guides, questionnaires, and screening criteria aligned with learning objectives.
Synthesize qualitative insights into consumer truths, motivations, unmet needs, and emotional drivers.
Ensure insights are translated into inspiring, business-relevant implications for brand positioning, communication, and innovation.
5. International & Ad-hoc Research Projects
Support research needs for international markets (e.g., Indonesia, Cambodia and other LOF priority markets).
Manage ad-hoc research assignments as required by the business, including competitive benchmarking, market entry studies, and post-launch evaluations.
6. Research Governance:
Ensure adherence to research best practices, ethical standards, and LOF guidelines.
Optimize research processes, tools, and methodologies to improve speed-to-insight and business impact.
Coordinate with external research agencies to ensure quality, cost efficiency, and timely delivery.
Work with shared-service admin support to manage contracts, paperwork, and payment processes under clear governance
*Work location: 217 Nguyen Van Thu Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
*Working hours: 44 hours/week, Monday to Friday & Saturday mornings (flexible work-from-home option available).