Experience
Dec 2022 – May 2026
Vice President, Operations & Technology
Led project operations, technology coordination, compliance support, vendor management, and research delivery for a consumer insights agency serving global brands, marketers, creative agencies, healthcare companies, and product teams. Oversaw workflows for an agency team of 8–12 employees plus offshore resources. Managed production tracking, vendor bidding, project design, timeline and budget estimating, consumer recruitment, remote fieldwork, AP/AR invoicing, purchase order management, and client/vendor onboarding. Supported parent-company requirements tied to security, data protection, employee training, business continuity, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC).
Feb 2022 – Dec 2022
Senior Director, Operations & Technology
Promoted to senior operations leadership role with responsibility for project operations workflow, production tracking, vendor relationships, sample bidding, consumer recruitment, remote fieldwork, technology platforms, and compliance-related coordination. Supported a lean research agency environment where operational discipline, fast turnaround, quality control, and client confidence were essential to repeat business.
Jul 2018 – Feb 2022
Director, Operations & Technology
Managed project operations and technology systems for a 12–14-person agency team, overseeing technology platforms, vendor bidding, project design, consumer recruitment, remote fieldwork, and client account execution. Aligned workflows, timelines, vendor activity, and research delivery across active client engagements while serving as a central liaison to parent-company teams for technology projects, systems administration, data protection, employee training, business continuity planning, and GRC initiatives.
Nov 2010 – Jul 2018
Senior Project Manager, Consumer Insights & Technology
Led end-to-end consumer research projects, client account management, research technology platforms, respondent support, consent workflows, compliance assurance, qualitative programming, quantitative testing, product testing logistics, consumer recruitment, remote fieldwork, analysis, and reporting.
May 2008 – Nov 2010
Project Manager, Consumer Insights
Managed and supported end-to-end consumer research projects, including research design, timeline and budget estimating, consumer recruitment, qualitative execution, stakeholder coordination, analysis support, and client reporting.
Results
Directed $2M+ in annual research operations across 50+ agency projects per year, supporting 45 engagements through design, pricing, budgeting, vendor management, AP/AR, and production tracking while leading 15 complex initiatives annually.
Pioneered an AI-led qualitative interviewing methodology for international research, building workflows, validation standards, SaaS partner selection, and proposal positioning that generated nearly $90K in first-year awarded projects.
Delivered high-stakes research projects and operations programs, including a six-week airline brand strategy study, a $250K–$275K recurring product quality program, and international healthcare research with 100% compliance.
Expertise
Project Management
Operations Management
Project Leadership
Research Operations
Market Research Operations
Workflow Optimization
Process Improvement
Vendor Management
Procurement
Budget Tracking
Timeline Management
Scope Management
Client Delivery
Cross-Functional Leadership
Stakeholder Management
Product Testing
Consumer Insights
R&D Support
Data Quality
Compliance
GRC
Data Privacy
Business Continuity Planning
AI-Enabled Research
Education
Master of Business Administration
Charleston Southern University
Bachelor of Science in Management
Emory & Henry University
Meet Jeff
Testimonials
“I worked with Jeff at U30 Group for 2 years and he is one of the most systematic, trustworthy colleagues I’ve known. His project leadership and operational discipline showed in the way that he built clear tracking systems and made sure nothing slipped through the cracks across 40+ concurrent consumer insight projects. His attention to detail in reviewing project logistics is second-to-none; for example, he resolved a major respondent discrepancy in a luxury brand attitude study that could have impacted the client’s U.S. marketing strategies. Jeff shows no fear when approaching difficult client asks and was trusted by our team to field tough questions. Jeff’s meticulous attention to detail and his consistent drive for high quality outcomes are perfect for leadership roles in consumer insights and market research.”
Karlos R. | Reported to Jeff directly
“Jeff is an exceptional team player and the most detailed-oriented person I have ever met. He possesses strong communication and organizational skills that are crucial in project management and client relations. Jeff is the person you want on your team regardless of the project…his work ethic, creativity and commitment to success is one of a kind.”
Joy E. | Worked with Jeff on the same team
Interests
Film & Movies
Gardening
Railfanning
Q & A
Why did you choose your profession?
I took Research Methods in business school—gaining some hands-on experience in designing/executing a quantitative project—and found the data collection process super interesting. Later finding a project management opportunity in consumer research, the PM frameworks required in that role aligned well with my personality and interests. Research projects are commonly compressed into tight windows to meet clients’ quick-turn learning objectives, necessitating a highly organized mindset to orchestrate those logistics with precision, which was a good fit for me.
Who are your main influences?
I use the Vince Lombardi mantra of where you should realize that perfection is unattainable but by pursuing it relentlessly you can catch excellence – which serves as the standard I apply towards all projects to achieve the best results possible for the client. In personal life, my father was a big influencer who pushed me to develop a strong work ethic (in school, team sports, life) and fostered the importance of personal accountability.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
I am most proud of building the agency’s in-home use test operation from the ground up. This involved me planning then creating the infrastructure to support a complex shipping requirement, developing the SOPs for product fulfillment needs (i.e. shipping prototypes to consumer testers, safely and quickly), managing all risks and administering a large-scale, recurring research program. Owning this operation gave me coaching/training opportunities in a continuously changing environment and most importantly it enabled a new line of business that secured several years of high-value client contracts for the agency.
What tools do you use?
I am proficient in waterfall (linear) and some hybrid project management frameworks in various settings, with hands-on experience using PM tools such as Smartsheet and Basecamp with some use of others like Asana and Monday. My technical toolkit includes extensive experience with A.I. tools—specifically Google Gemini, Adobe Firefly and building agents within OAI for specific research workflows—and specialized research tools (quantitative and qualitative platforms) such as Decipher, Recollective and many more.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your profession?
Prepare for the unexpected and always have a plan of action ready. I’d suggest they read Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese? parable about not fearing change.