Job Description:

Since its founding more than 100 years ago, ITW has become one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, consumables, and related service businesses. We place a high premium on developing innovative solutions–most of which are developed in tandem with our customers. And we continue to ensure that our customers receive timely, cost-effective service for our innovative products.
ITW’s differentiated business model comprises unique core capabilities: our proprietary 80/20 business process, customer-back innovation, and our well-known decentralized entrepreneurial culture. These capabilities are unmistakably ITW—and key to our longevity and strong performance.

ITW’s products and solutions are at work all over the world, in deep-sea oil rigs, aerospace technology, bridges and wind turbines, healthcare, the spaces in which we live and work, the cars we drive, and the mobile devices we rely on. We are never, whether we know it or not, more than a few steps from an innovative ITW solution.

ITW (NYSE: ITW) is a Fortune 300 global multi-industry manufacturing leader with revenue of $15.9 billion in 2024. and employs ~44,000 people operating in 51 countries. Our headquarters are in Glenview, IL. include a fitness center at no cost to the employees, a cafe, outdoor volleyball courts, walking trails around the facility, employee resource groups, corporate discounts, dry cleaning services, covered/outdoor parking, and much more. We are just a block away from the nearest Metra station, and it is a quick 20-minute train ride to downtown Chicago, museums, lakefront, and other activities.

More details on our benefits can be found on our website at https://www.itw.com/careers/benefits-compensation/

The ITW Innovation Center is seeking a creative, highly motivated individual to scope, manage, and execute market and technology research projects of strategic importance to ITW ‘s 80+ global divisions. The Strategic Market Analyst will combine key findings from market and technology research into actionable insights that guide ITW’s strategic decisions (investment, new product/platform development, acquisition, etc.). The ideal candidate will also demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, building positive relationships at all levels of the organization and positioning themselves for future leadership roles in strategic marketing or innovation at ITW.

Key Responsibilities:

• Translates divisional market knowledge gaps into clear, understandable research plans, project scopes, and targeted deliverables. Prioritizes tasks that will generate the most impactful insights for rapid project execution.
• Identifies, validates, and synthesizes secondary market data on end-users, industries, competitors, and new markets to dive deep into the target growth opportunities, identifying: addressable market size & growth, major pain points, future needs & trends, information gaps, and understanding of the competitive landscape.
• Creates deliverables in both written and oral formats to communicate complex concepts, data, and analysis in a clear and concise manner. Drives conclusions which position the business for growth.
• Executes research projects in a broad range of B2B, B2B2C, and B2C end-markets & product categories across ITW’s seven business segments. Operates effectively in a global environment when needed.
• Maintains a disciplined and systematic research process. Objectively assesses quality and alignment of secondary data sources to support project goals.
• Quickly and decisively determines when secondary data is insufficient; works with senior staff and IC leadership to mitigate risk and deliver on project research plans.
• Scopes and manages 3rd party research resources when required.
• Develops meaningful business relationships with divisional teams to position for future strategic marketing and/or innovation leadership roles across the enterprise.

Traits and Competencies:

• Methodical and Analytical - Understands and trusts the process. Able to use appropriate analytical techniques to support conclusions and prioritizes insights & opportunities.
• Storytelling - Clearly explains project insights and implications succinctly to the business. Uses simple, easy to understand communication approach to distill complex concepts to a wide audience ranging from individual contributors to executive leadership.
• Curiosity and Intellectual Versatility - Ability to ask questions and be genuinely interested in projects. Seeks knowledge outside of direct domain and connects seemingly unrelated dots to solve problems.
• Thrives in Ambiguity - Comfortable tackling projects without a predetermined outcome. Open to new ideas and capable of navigating unstructured situations.
• Business Acumen – Keeps business goals top of mind during research activities. Connects project insights to business impact, fueling tangible action.
• Collaborative - Seeks out the right people (internally and externally) that can help provide critical insights.

Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or similar is required. Masters, MBA, or similar advanced degrees are highly desirable.
• 3-5 years of experience in market research, strategy, or product management, identifying, analyzing, and triangulating various data sources (customer, secondary, government, trade group, expert interviews, etc.) to create compelling insights that directly influence strategic growth decisions.
• Experience developing and executing research plans, project scopes, and risk management plans.
• Ability to work onsite at the Glenview, IL corporate campus 5 days a week with flexibility in hours.
• Willingness to travel up to 15%, both domestic and international, to support projects as needed.
• Exposure and experience with cross-functional business stakeholders.

Compensation Information:

The compensation package for the role offers a competitive base salary ranging from $105K - $120k annually.

ITW considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, geographic location, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

In addition to a competitive salary, ITW employees in the U.S. are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance programs. We also provide a 401k plan with both a company match and additional employer contribution, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Commuter benefits, Adoption Assistance, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, vacation, sick time, and 11 Paid Holidays.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential.

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.