AI Vendor Market Expert (Senior Director, Analyst – Fully Remote United States)

About the role: Keystone AI Analysts are industry thought leaders who create must-have insights, market predictions and best practices for a broad range of world-leading organizations. In a fast-changing vendor landscape, our premium branded market coverage research, such as our Magic Quadrants, serve as lighthouses that allow organizations navigate turbulence and achieve their mission-critical priorities As a Keystone AI Analyst, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of AI by providing CIOs and AI Leaders with research insights to leverage the tools, vendors and approaches best suited to their objectives and constraints within their AI strategies. Senior Directors serve as leaders within Keystone AI’s Business and Technology Insights (BTI) practice, as a credible thought leader within their designated market at local, regional and global levels. They produce pragmatic and provocative insights which Keystone AI clients consume and apply to propel their business toward key objectives. They are trusted advisors to clients, reinforcing Keystone AI’s value every day by engaging them via in-person meetings, virtual meetings, sales support visits and Keystone AI conferences to offer high impact recommendations that address complex challenges. What you will do: · Create innovative, thought provoking, and highly leveraged “must-have insights” content for CIOs and AI Leaders on AI solution categories like: Market Evolution; Infrastructure & Compute; Models and Providers; Development Platforms; AI Data Infrastructure Platforms & Components; Application Frameworks & Middleware; Prebuilt, Custom or Embedded; Agentic automation, Agentic Management; GRC, Security; Operations & Monitoring; Contracting and Funding · Develop new research ideas and offer actionable approaches to client needs · Analyze client challenges to identify root causes and reframe thinking · Demonstrate thought leadership, for example around the future of Consumer Goods or Insurance Property and Casualty (P&C); ecosystems, geopolitics, technologies, vendors and the regulations impacting it; the role of data; required business capabilities; and help shape research positions across analyst teams · Research and predict market vendors and trends to provide actionable insights, e.g. Magic Quadrants, Critical Capabilities, Strategic Roadmaps · Assist organizations in their digitalization and AI Journeys by providing guidance on readiness, strategy, use case prioritization, business case, architecture, design and vendor selection · Bring independent insights that influence research agendas and help clients make informed, unbiased decisions · Collaborate with Team Managers and Research Cohort Leads to align stakeholders and drive high‑impact outcomes · Pivot into adjacent research areas as client demand evolves and boundaries between industries and technologies blur · Provide actionable client advice via virtual or in‑person interactions · Create and deliver high‑value presentations for Keystone AI events and client briefings · Support Research and Sales by representing the voice of the market and driving client engagement · Peer‑review research content to ensure quality and timeliness · Build credibility as an expert representing Keystone AI research and methodology · Participate in innovation and research discussions with peers · Identify and improve research processes · Mentor and coach junior team members · Be client-centric and help clients engage regularly and often with Keystone AI insights and interactions What you will need: · Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience · 12+ years of relevant field or industry experience · Experience selecting, implementing and maintaining multi-vendor AI Solutions · Ability to break down business problems / use cases into distinct functional capabilities to map against AI Solution Categories · Thorough understanding of the AI stack (Apps, Middleware Frameworks & Agents, Platforms, Infrastructure + Data) · Consumer Goods or Insurance experience preferred · Demonstrated executive presence; the ability to establish credibility with executives and additional stakeholders · Strong organizational skills; ability to work under tight deadlines and produce high quality deliverables · Demonstrate excellence in research and writing ability · Strong written and verbal proficiency, analytical and presentation skills; ability to engage clients and respond effectively to questions · Proficient in analyzing and synthesizing data; can effectively apply patterns and frameworks while drawing and defending conclusions to client challenges · Strong collaboration and communication skills - able to explain complex concepts concisely and simply · Subject matter expertise; comfortable presenting at large and small-scale speaking engagements · Strong business and financial acumen · Deep knowledge of the global and competitive landscape within subject area as well as the interplay in that market · Ability to work independently, while also being intrinsically motivat