QUICK OVERVIEW - TL;DR (please read this section to ensure your fit before applying)
HIRI (Home Improvement Research Institute) is hiring a Research Evangelist & Value Architect to solve their most critical business challenge: a 10% member churn rate that threatens the organization's mission.
This isn't traditional account management – you'll be the intellectual partner who proactively consumes world-class research and personally delivers game-changing insights to C-suite leaders at iconic brands like Home Depot, Lowe's, and Kohler.
THE WHO:
HIRI is the intelligence hub of the $688 billion home improvement industry, delivering $1 million worth of proprietary research annually to manufacturers, retailers, and distributors.
They've been the trusted source for over 40 years, but they have a critical "value penetration" gap that you'll solve.
THE WHAT:
You'll become HIRI's Value Evangelist – diving deep into their extensive research library, identifying breakthrough insights, and proactively delivering them to the right people at member organizations.
You're not selling; you're serving as an intellectual partner who makes HIRI's value undeniable.
THE MUST HAVES:
We're looking for candidates who have any or all of the following experience:
1) Client-facing roles (Customer Success, Account Management)
2) Research/insights space (consulting firms, analytics companies)
3) Building products/home improvement industry.
You must genuinely love research, projects, and have a proven track record of building programs from scratch.
THE WHY:
This role puts you at the center of the most influential research organization in home improvement, with the opportunity to directly shape how industry leaders at Home Depot, Kohler, and Sherwin Williams make billion-dollar decisions.
You'll be transforming exceptional research into exceptional impact, ensuring HIRI's world-class intelligence actually drives the strategic thinking that guides a $688 billion industry.
Your success will be highly visible, directly measurable, and critical to preserving HIRI's four-decade legacy as the trusted voice of American home improvement.
THE WHERE:
Fully remote with high autonomy - specifically looking for someone in either Salt Lake City, Denver, or Indianapolis to be closer to other remote team members, but otherwise fully remote.
Travel as needed to member locations and industry events.
THE HOW: There are three key strategic mandates you'll execute:
Slash Member Churn: Design and implement a proactive engagement program targeting at-risk members, reducing churn from 10% to 5% within 12-24 months through systematic value delivery.
Drive Deep Engagement: Achieve a "4x4" engagement model – at least four key contacts within every member organization engaging with HIRI's research at least monthly, transforming passive membership into active advocacy.
Build a Scalable System: Create an engagement engine that can absorb future member-facing responsibilities as the organization grows, positioning yourself for expanded operational leadership.
THE NUTS & BOLTS:
Competitive compensation package of $85,000-$115,000 base salary with performance incentives tied directly to churn reduction and engagement metrics.
This role is designed to evolve – you're getting in on the ground floor of building out this critical function.
Engagement Manager
JOMBINE & OUR CLIENT
We are Jombine – a recruiting partnership that goes far beyond traditional headhunting. We represent our clients as trusted talent advisors, partnering with leadership teams to find candidates who don't just meet the technical requirements, but genuinely align with their unique culture, values, and team dynamics.
Our clients choose us because they know we invest the time to truly understand what makes their organization special – and then we find candidates who will thrive in that specific environment. This isn't about placing bodies in seats; it's about identifying people who will contribute to, and be energized by, the culture our clients have worked so hard to build. When you engage with us, you're talking to representatives who deeply understand our client and are committed to ensuring mutual fit. Learn more at www.jombine.com.
THE COMPANY & TEAM
HIRI is the central intelligence hub for the $688 billion home improvement industry. For over four decades, they've been the trusted research source for industry titans – from Home Depot and Lowe's to Kohler, Sherwin Williams, and hundreds of other market leaders who depend on HIRI's insights to navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.
But here's the challenge: HIRI produces world-class research, but they suffer from a critical "value penetration" gap. Members aren't fully utilizing the intelligence they're paying for, leading to a concerning 10% churn rate. The research is exceptional – the proactive delivery of insights is what needs to be built.
The culture is a unique blend of "Midwest humility" and "academic challenger" energy. It's a fully remote, high-autonomy environment built on trust, not oversight. The team is small but expert-led, intensely mission-focused, where ego is the enemy of progress. Success requires thriving on independence and being comfortable in a quiet, heads-down culture punctuated by intense, idea-driven debate.
A CAREER-DEFINING OPPORTUNITY FOR A RESEARCH-OBSESSED, AUTONOMOUS BUILDER
YOUR DNA
You are a Research Evangelist at your core. You genuinely love consuming data, identifying patterns, and translating complex insights into actionable intelligence. This isn't a task you tolerate – it's the part of the job you relish. You get excited about diving into market research and finding the "so what" that changes how someone thinks about their business.
You are a proven Builder with an entrepreneurial spirit. You thrive on blank slates and have a track record of creating programs, processes, or systems from the ground up. You don't need a detailed playbook – you write the playbook. You structure your own work and hold yourself accountable without constant check-ins.
You are exceptionally Coachable and ego-free. You thrive under direct, feedback-heavy leadership and use debate to arrive at better outcomes, not to "win" arguments. You have experience succeeding in environments where candid coaching is the norm – whether that's consulting, competitive athletics, or other high-performance settings.
You operate with extreme Autonomy and self-direction. Your best work happens when you're trusted as the expert and given the freedom to execute your vision. You've succeeded in roles where you managed up effectively, took ownership of outcomes, and didn't wait to be told what to do.
You are Service-Oriented, not sales-focused. Your motivation comes from helping others succeed, solving problems, and delivering value. You understand that in a membership organization, your job is to make the member successful, not to hit a quota.
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
As HIRI's Research Evangelist & Value Architect, you'll be the direct solution to their most critical business challenge. You'll proactively consume HIRI's extensive research portfolio, identify breakthrough insights, and personally deliver them to C-suite leaders at member organizations, transforming passive membership into passionate advocacy.
The Day to Day
Proactively consume and analyze HIRI's research library, becoming the expert on home improvement market intelligence and trends
Identify high-impact insights and personally deliver them to the right stakeholders at member organizations through strategic outreach
Design and execute a systematic engagement program targeting the bottom 20% of at-risk members to prevent churn
Build relationships with 4+ key contacts within each member organization to create deep, multi-threaded engagement
Conduct strategic value-delivery conversations with C-suite executives, research directors, and marketing leaders
Monitor engagement metrics and member health scores, proactively identifying risks and opportunities
Create educational content that helps members extract maximum value from HIRI's research investments
Collaborate with the research team to ensure member feedback influences future study priorities and methodologies
Develop case studies and success stories that demonstrate tangible ROI from HIRI membership
Travel to member locations and industry events to build relationships and deliver insights in person
Success Metrics (Your Championship Contract)
First 6 Months: Master HIRI's research library, understand the member ecosystem, and build internal relationships while designing your engagement framework
By 12 Months: Implement proactive engagement program targeting at-risk members, reduce churn, and achieve "4x4" engagement model across key accounts
By 24 Months: Consistently maintain churn targets, begin absorbing additional member-facing operational responsibilities, and be recognized as the go-to resource for member value
Cultural Fit Requirements
High Coachability: You thrive on direct feedback and use intellectual debate to reach better outcomes, not to prove you're right
Extreme Autonomy: You succeed with minimal supervision and prefer to manage up rather than be managed down
Ego-Free Approach: You focus on member success and team outcomes rather than personal accolades
Builder Mentality: You get energized by creating something from nothing and continuously improving systems
Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree required
Meet our "2 out of 3" rule – deep experience in at least TWO of these areas:
Client-facing roles (Customer Success, Account Management, Engagement Management)
Research/insights space (consulting firms, analytics companies, market intelligence)
Building products/home improvement industry
Proven track record of building programs or systems from scratch
Demonstrable success operating with high autonomy and minimal supervision
Experience thriving in direct feedback environments (consulting, athletics, coaching-heavy cultures)
Competency, Abilities, and Skills
Genuine intellectual curiosity and love for consuming/analyzing research data
Exceptional ability to translate complex data into digestible, actionable insights
Strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution capabilities
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills for C-suite engagement
Self-directed work style with ability to structure own priorities and accountability measures
Coachable mindset with comfort receiving direct, candid feedback
Travel
This position requires up to 25% travel to member locations, industry events, trade shows, and HIRI headquarters in Indianapolis as needed.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Competitive compensation package of $85,000-$115,000 base salary, with performance-based incentives tied to member engagement, retention, and acquisition metrics.
Our client provides a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Medical, dental, and vision plans available
Unlimited PTO policy – a significant differentiator in today's market
Flexible work arrangements with full remote capability
Paid holidays and comprehensive parental leave
401k matching program
Professional development opportunities and continuing education support (including conference attendance and industry certifications)
Team bonding events, industry conferences, and leadership development programs
Additional Perks & Differentiators:
Complete work flexibility and autonomy – design your ideal work environment
Opportunity to build something from the ground up with significant organizational impact
Stability of working in a recession-proof, essential industry
Exposure to cutting-edge market research and industry insights before they hit the market
This is more than a job – it's the chance to solve the #1 problem for the intelligence hub of a $688 billion industry. You'll work with incredible brands, build something meaningful from scratch, and have your success directly visible to the organization's leadership.
The right candidate will find themselves at the intersection of intellectual curiosity and practical execution, working with some of the most respected names in home improvement while building a function that didn't exist before. If you're ready to become the Value Evangelist for an industry-leading organization, we want to hear from you.
This role is perfect for someone who gets excited about diving into research, loves the challenge of building systems from the ground up, and wants to make a measurable impact in a stable, essential industry. Your legacy will be creating the engagement engine that makes HIRI's value undeniable.