Marketing Research Manager (Top Secret cleared)

The Work 

ICF Next is seeking a Marketing Research Manager/Strategist to support a high-visibility federal client within the national security space, focused on large-scale recruitment marketing and employer branding initiatives. This is a fully onsite role within a secure government environment requiring close, day-to-day collaboration with client stakeholders. 

The role supports data-informed strategy development by analyzing market trends, audience insights, and campaign performance to inform recruitment marketing efforts and improve overall program effectiveness. 
 

The role operates at the intersection of research, analytics, and marketing, translating data into actionable insights that support targeting, messaging, and campaign optimization in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. 
 

Job Location 

Onsite – Washington, DC (government facility, Metro accessible). All work is performed onsite in a secure federal environment. Limited telework may be authorized only as permitted by the client and contract requirements. 
 

What You Will Do 

• Conduct market, audience, and competitive research to support recruitment marketing strategies 

• Analyze marketing and campaign performance data to identify trends and opportunities. Develop insights and recommendations to improve targeting, messaging, and engagement 

• Support development of audience segmentation and data-informed marketing approaches 

• Collaborate onsite with government stakeholders and cross-functional teams to align research with program objectives 

• Contribute to reporting, briefings, and presentations for stakeholders 

• Utilize analytics and marketing technology platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI, and platform-native analytics across paid media and social channels) to monitor performance and identify opportunities for improvement 

• Assist in development of measurement frameworks, tracking methodologies (e.g., UTM tagging, conversion tracking, and cross-channel attribution), and performance benchmarks to support KPI reporting and optimization 

• Support integration and alignment of data across platforms (e.g., CRM/email systems, web analytics, and media platforms) to enable cohesive reporting and full-funnel performance insights 

• Identify emerging trends in workforce behavior and digital engagement 

• Support ongoing optimization efforts through testing and analysis 
   

Basic Qualifications 

• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance required 

• Ability to work onsite full-time in Washington, DC 

• U.S. citizenship required 

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, economics, or a related field 

• 3+ years of professional experience in marketing research, analytics, or related field 
   

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience supporting federal government or public-sector programs 

• Familiarity with recruitment marketing or employer branding 

• Experience analyzing data to generate actionable insights 

• Experience using analytics and reporting tools such as Google Analytics (GA4), Tableau, Power BI, or similar platforms to interpret performance data and generate insights 

• Familiarity with digital marketing analytics, including paid media, social media, and web performance measurement 
   

Professional Skills 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 

• Ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment 

• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across teams