Research Analyst

Join this fast growing independent institutional investment research boutique. We are wholly owned by German-based GfK Group which is a €1+ billion company with 10,000+ employees in more than 100 countries; GfK is the world’s largest provider of point-of-sale data and has extensive proprietary data operations.

GfK Boutique Research provides quantitative and qualitative research to hedge and pension funds investing in companies of the Telecom, Consumer Electronics and Information Technologies sectors; this includes Nokia, Motorola, Qualcomm, Samsung, LGE, Apple, Corning, Acer, HP, Canon, Nikon, Lexmark, Logitech, etc. The research leverages GfK point-of-sale data, which we access via a proprietary database enabling the view and analysis of virtually all segments that can be of interest to institutional investors.

Being a small and growth-focused team we offer the opportunity to evolve in a dynamic environment. GfK Boutique Research is a growing, self-contained team of currently ~30 people formed of various nationalities with offices in the USA, the UK, France and Hong Kong.



GfK Boutique Research Product and Value Proposition

The team provides research on a growing number of technology sectors. The quantitative research we provide mostly consists of monitoring performances of tech companies such as Nokia by tracking market shares, volume growth, segment trends and ASP (average selling price) movements. On top of this we provide unique thematic research thanks to the proprietary POS data (e.g. how disruptive is the iPad and other tablets on the smartphone and notebook market?).

We regularly update our clients on the market dynamics via emails which include analytical notes and excel deliverables as well as via telephone and in-person briefings. Our value to our clients:

Objective Using consistent data to assess market trends and vendor performance

Timely Analysing new themes as soon as they emerge; fast/deep client service

Incremental Leverage GfK POS data to revenues / margins conclusions ahead of earnings



Role

The role of this assignment consists of supporting the analyst covering one or various product sectors among the consumer electronic goods we cover. The responsibility involves first understanding GfK sell-thru data and then leveraging this proprietary asset to analyse and anticipate vendors’ performances. Establishing this context requires (a) reading about relevant product news, bank reports, and industry trends, and (b) listening closely to client questions so that you know what/where to investigate/think.



The goal is to build an understanding of (1) basic technological changes that enable new applications (e.g. disruption of Notebook demand with the rise of the tablet PC category redefined by Apple’s iPad), (2) current key issues for investors (e.g. ‘how is iPhone selling this quarter’?) and (3) finally and critically: how proprietary GfK data and our analysis of it can help investors answer important questions that virtually nobody without our data, resources, expertise, insight, initiative and creativity can answer.



Requirements

This is an equally challenging and rewarding assignment. The successful candidate will be comfortable focusing on specific topics, generating ideas for the on-going reports and adapting his/her research based on clients/prospects’ questions. The assignment requires top-rate analysis skills, intellectual rigor as well as self-motivation. We value ingenuity, simplicity, and dedication to the achievement of team objectives. The ranked priority of skills/experience is as follows (‘1’ being the minimum and ‘5’ the maximum):



Sales Marketing Client Service Analysis Data Handling Development



1


2


3


4


5


2





And personality is important. The growing Boston-based team consists of seven people at this time. While you will have daily contact with team members in other part of the world and will be traveling to meet them as well as clients, you will need to be very self-motivated and goal oriented.



Desired Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:

* Technical: Strong knowledge in MS Excel as well as understanding of MS Access; experience with periodic data is a plus
* Personal:Fluent in English + other European or Asian languages; eligible to live and work in US; a plus interest in or knowledge of consumer technology products
* Other:Intellectually rigorous with a sense of humor



Financial Compensation: competitive salary plus great benefits



Team Contacts: Claudia Diaz / +1 617 523 3454 / Claudia.diaz@gfk.com