Research Director, Modern Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Edge Applications, Remote, Massachusetts

IDC

Research Director, Modern Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Edge Applications

US--Remote

Job ID: 2024-5179
Type: Regular (Full Time)
# of Openings: 1
Category: Research
IDC

Overview

IDC is seeking a Research Director, Modern Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Edge Applications. This highly visible position requires will develop cutting-edge qualitative and quantitative research for IDC's exceptionally diverse client base, including edge, software and services vendors, and enterprise end users. The Research Director will be IDC's primary analyst and subject-matter expert for platform as a Service coverage.

The Research Director is responsible for researching, writing, and advising clients on the changing field of software development. IDC's focus on modern PaaS and edge applications is oriented around the foundational cloud services, supporting components/services used by developers, evolving public multicloud and cross-cloud PaaS use cases, and the growing use of cloud services at edge locations. The Research Director will be able to speak broadly about PaaS cloud services and platforms, containers and Kubernetes, DevOps, serverless, and the growing use of cloud services at edge locations.

Why IDC?

IDC is the most respected global technology market research firm. We are changing the way the world thinks about the impact of technology on business and society. Our people, data, and analytics create global technology insights that accelerate customer success. IDC has been recognized for four consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) by the IIAR as the Analyst Firm of the Year which is one of the highest accolades for the technology market research industry.

Our collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial culture is the perfect place for you to discover your future! We are just getting started!

Responsibilities

• Serve as IDC's subject matter expert on modern PaaS and edge applications, focusing on sizing and forecasting the PaaS market. This includes emerging software solutions such as edge/lightweight PaaS and WASI and practices used to support and host modern applications deployed using today's development tools and utilities, which are subsequently deployed leveraging DevOps deployment best practices.
• Provide leadership thinking around how modern PaaS platforms and edge applications are changing, how the surrounding products and solutions are being used (and abandoned), and what the impacts of these shifts mean both to vendors delivering tools and services and to the organizations that consume PaaS services.
• Confidently discuss how the industry is evolving and how change will unfold over the next five years.
• Develop and/or customize PaaS research and consulting projects, which can include customized surveys, white papers, webcasts, on-site strategy sessions, customized forecasts, videos, or presentations at events and PaaS platforms and application services consulting projects to meet the specific needs of external customers.
• This position carries the expectation for approximately 25 solo or lead-authored research documents per year, including a mix of shorter industry-event reactive pieces and longer. These thought-leadership documents provide deeper insight into the changing nature of the market.
• Utilize existing and new relationships with technical and market knowledge to develop and grow business relationships for IDC subscriptions and custom consulting work. Proactively develops relationships with internal IDC sales teams and advocates for the research service and custom consulting projects as a subject matter expert during sales calls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 10 + years of direct applicable industry experience
• Proven track record of written deliverables and a track record of successful business development with vendors in the industry.
• Strong PPT and Excel-based modeling skills and an interest in pushing the envelope to develop creative solutions starting from existing data.
• Ability to create qualitative analysis supporting data models, analyze survey data, and deliver documents and projects on a timely basis
• An understanding of modern deployment platforms in the industry from vendors such as Red Hat, Amazon, Broadcom VMware, ServiceNow, Microsoft, etc.
• Both verbal and written analysis are key to a successful analyst at IDC.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple projects and work independently to support a range of publishing, consulting, forecasting, market modeling, and thought leadership activities simultaneously, often with strict deadlines
• Ability to consistently produce written deliverables discussing the evolving developer ecosystem and meet document count and production deadlines is essential for success in this position.
• Experience building relationships with vendors and to proactively connect with industry representatives is critical.
• Excellent speaking and interpersonal skills must complement strong organizational skills, and the ability to develop and defend market forecasts and share analysis is crucial. Frequent telephone interactions with clients, prospects, and vendors are expected.
• Ability to travel 1 to 2 times a month during peak spring and fall periods (travel varies considerably, but heaviest travel periods will be between March and July, then again in September and October).
• This role may be based in an approved remote US location or in our Needham, MA, headquarters.

About IDC: International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,300 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For 50 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company.

IDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, handicap, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, ancestry, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status or other categories protected by law.

At IDC, Inc., we are committed to fair and equitable pay practices. We pay our employees equitably for their work, commensurate with their individual skills and experience. Salary range and additional compensation, including discretionary bonuses and incentive pay, are determined by a rigorous review process. This process considers the experience, education, certifications, and skills required for the specific role, equity with similarly situated employees, as well as employer-verified US region-specific market data provided by an independent 3rd party partner. The expected total annual compensation, depending on location and experience, is between $130,000 and $165,000 and is inclusive of base salary and variable compensation (if applicable).

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