OPT Market Research Jobs
Market research jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in business, statistics, or social sciences. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions when tied to data analysis or quantitative methods, giving you up to three years of work authorization to build experience in consumer insights, survey design, and competitive analysis.
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GGP Chicago - 350 N Orleans Street, Suite 300
Business
Headquartered in Chicago, IL, GGP is a leading retail real estate company with a portfolio of 95+ high-performing retail assets, encompassing over 95 million square feet of space across the United States. As an owner-operator, we’re committed to creating vibrant destinations that bring people and brands together. With a team of 1,200+ employees and a legacy of leadership in retail real estate, we’re shaping the future of the industry by delivering exceptional value to our partners and the communities we serve.
If you’re ready to be a part of our team, we encourage you to apply.
Job Description
The Market Research Analyst supports GGP’s leasing organization by delivering data-driven insights that inform merchandising strategy, retailer outreach, and portfolio positioning. Working under the direction of the Director, Market Research & Analytics, the role analyzes established data sources and summarizes findings for retailer pitches, market analyses, and internal decision-making. The role sits at the intersection of data, storytelling, and leasing strategy. Within 12 months, success is demonstrated by tailored retailer materials, clear analyses that support leasing decisions, and research outputs that are trusted, consistent, and defensible across the organization.
Responsibilities
- Support the leasing and marketing teams by preparing research, analytics and data-driven materials for retailer outreach, leasing decisions, merchandising, and portfolio positioning.
- Assess trade areas, competitors, and broader market conditions to support retailer targeting, merchandising, site positioning, and leasing decisions.
- Compile and organize market and consumer data from established sources, such as mobile location analytics, foot traffic, demographics, psychographics, consumer behavior, and credit card spending, for use in research and performance analyses.
- Prepare research reports, leasing presentations, maps, charts, and data visualizations that communicate trade area strength, customer profiles, market opportunities, and competitive advantages.
- Summarize analytical findings and communicate relevant trends, observations, and supporting data to internal teams and, as directed, external audiences.
- Conduct periodic evaluations of shopping center performance against visitation trends, trade area dynamics, consumer behavior, and relevant market benchmarks.
- Track recurring performance indicators, including traffic, visitation, trade area shifts, and consumer behavior trends, and flag notable changes for review.
- Follow established quality-control practices to maintain data accuracy, consistency, and quality across research reports, presentations, and analytical outputs.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Bachelor’s degree in Geography, Economics, Business, Analytics, or related field.
- At least 2 years of experience in market research, analytics, or commercial real estate.
- Intermediate proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
- Intermediate proficiency with GIS tools and spatial analysis.
- Intermediate proficiency with data visualization tools.
- Ability to analyze large datasets into clear, actionable insights with strong attention to detail.
- Intermediate written and verbal communication and storytelling skills, including the ability to explain analytical findings clearly.
- Intermediate project management skills, including ability to manage multiple priorities. Intermediate collaboration skills in cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with ArcGIS.
- Experience with PowerBI.
- Familiarity with retail, real estate, or consumer behavior data.
Travel
Occasional travel may be required.
Compensation
Salary type: Exempt
Pay Frequency: Bi-weekly
Annual Base Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000
Annual Bonus Eligibility: 10%
Benefit Information
- Competitive compensation
- Medical, Dental and Vision beginning day 1
- 401(k) Company matching
- 401(k) Vests on Day 1
- Career development programs
- Charitable donation matching
- Generous paid time off (i.e., vacation, personal holidays, paid sick time)
- Paid Volunteer Hours
- Paid Parental Leave
- Family planning assistance including IVF, surrogacy, and adoption options
- Wellness and mental health resources
- Pet insurance offering
- Childcare Assistance
- Commuter benefits
- A culture based on our values of Act with Integrity, Build Mutual Trust, Take Initiative, and Win Together
We are proud to create a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are grateful for your interest in this position, however, only candidates selected for pre-screening will be contacted.
Location
GGP Chicago - 350 N Orleans Street, Suite 300
Business
Headquartered in Chicago, IL, GGP is a leading retail real estate company with a portfolio of 95+ high-performing retail assets, encompassing over 95 million square feet of space across the United States. As an owner-operator, we’re committed to creating vibrant destinations that bring people and brands together. With a team of 1,200+ employees and a legacy of leadership in retail real estate, we’re shaping the future of the industry by delivering exceptional value to our partners and the communities we serve.
If you’re ready to be a part of our team, we encourage you to apply.
Job Description
The Market Research Analyst supports GGP’s leasing organization by delivering data-driven insights that inform merchandising strategy, retailer outreach, and portfolio positioning. Working under the direction of the Director, Market Research & Analytics, the role analyzes established data sources and summarizes findings for retailer pitches, market analyses, and internal decision-making. The role sits at the intersection of data, storytelling, and leasing strategy. Within 12 months, success is demonstrated by tailored retailer materials, clear analyses that support leasing decisions, and research outputs that are trusted, consistent, and defensible across the organization.
Responsibilities
- Support the leasing and marketing teams by preparing research, analytics and data-driven materials for retailer outreach, leasing decisions, merchandising, and portfolio positioning.
- Assess trade areas, competitors, and broader market conditions to support retailer targeting, merchandising, site positioning, and leasing decisions.
- Compile and organize market and consumer data from established sources, such as mobile location analytics, foot traffic, demographics, psychographics, consumer behavior, and credit card spending, for use in research and performance analyses.
- Prepare research reports, leasing presentations, maps, charts, and data visualizations that communicate trade area strength, customer profiles, market opportunities, and competitive advantages.
- Summarize analytical findings and communicate relevant trends, observations, and supporting data to internal teams and, as directed, external audiences.
- Conduct periodic evaluations of shopping center performance against visitation trends, trade area dynamics, consumer behavior, and relevant market benchmarks.
- Track recurring performance indicators, including traffic, visitation, trade area shifts, and consumer behavior trends, and flag notable changes for review.
- Follow established quality-control practices to maintain data accuracy, consistency, and quality across research reports, presentations, and analytical outputs.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Bachelor’s degree in Geography, Economics, Business, Analytics, or related field.
- At least 2 years of experience in market research, analytics, or commercial real estate.
- Intermediate proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
- Intermediate proficiency with GIS tools and spatial analysis.
- Intermediate proficiency with data visualization tools.
- Ability to analyze large datasets into clear, actionable insights with strong attention to detail.
- Intermediate written and verbal communication and storytelling skills, including the ability to explain analytical findings clearly.
- Intermediate project management skills, including ability to manage multiple priorities. Intermediate collaboration skills in cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with ArcGIS.
- Experience with PowerBI.
- Familiarity with retail, real estate, or consumer behavior data.
Travel
Occasional travel may be required.
Compensation
Salary type: Exempt
Pay Frequency: Bi-weekly
Annual Base Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000
Annual Bonus Eligibility: 10%
Benefit Information
- Competitive compensation
- Medical, Dental and Vision beginning day 1
- 401(k) Company matching
- 401(k) Vests on Day 1
- Career development programs
- Charitable donation matching
- Generous paid time off (i.e., vacation, personal holidays, paid sick time)
- Paid Volunteer Hours
- Paid Parental Leave
- Family planning assistance including IVF, surrogacy, and adoption options
- Wellness and mental health resources
- Pet insurance offering
- Childcare Assistance
- Commuter benefits
- A culture based on our values of Act with Integrity, Build Mutual Trust, Take Initiative, and Win Together
We are proud to create a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are grateful for your interest in this position, however, only candidates selected for pre-screening will be contacted.
See all 33+ OPT Market Research Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Market Research Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Market Research
Confirm your role qualifies for STEM OPT
Market research roles that involve quantitative analysis, statistical modeling, or data science often qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Verify your CIP code with your DSO before accepting an offer to protect your authorization window.
Target research-heavy industries first
Consulting firms, consumer packaged goods companies, and healthcare organizations run large in-house research functions and are more accustomed to sponsoring OPT students than smaller agencies. Start your search with employers that have established HR and compliance infrastructure.
Lead with quantitative skills in applications
Employers are more likely to sponsor OPT candidates who demonstrate hard-to-find technical skills. Emphasize proficiency in SPSS, R, Python, or SQL, as these signal the kind of specialized expertise that makes OPT sponsorship worth the administrative effort for hiring teams.
Clarify your authorization type upfront
Tell recruiters early that you have OPT work authorization and specify whether it's standard or STEM. Many hiring managers conflate OPT with H-1B visa sponsorship. Clarifying this removes friction and prevents your application from being filtered out unnecessarily during early screening.
Pursue roles with clear research methodology requirements
Job postings that require specific research methods, such as conjoint analysis, MaxDiff, or regression modeling, are more likely to qualify as specialty occupations. These technical requirements also make a stronger case for OPT eligibility if your DSO or employer needs documentation.
Track your OPT end date against hiring timelines
Market research hiring cycles at large firms can run eight to twelve weeks. Start applying at least four months before your OPT expires so you have time to receive an offer, complete onboarding, and initiate any STEM extension paperwork without gaps in authorization.
Market Research OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do market research jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on the role and your degree's CIP code. Market research analyst positions focused on quantitative methods, statistical analysis, or data modeling often qualify under STEM-designated programs in fields like statistics, applied mathematics, or management information systems. Roles that are primarily qualitative, such as focus group facilitation, are less likely to qualify. Confirm with your DSO before accepting an offer.
How do I find market research employers that sponsor OPT students?
Browse Migrate Mate to find market research roles from employers actively open to OPT candidates. Large consumer goods companies, management consulting firms, and healthcare research organizations tend to have the compliance infrastructure to hire OPT students regularly. Filtering by employer size and industry helps you prioritize companies with established sponsorship experience over firms that may be encountering OPT authorization for the first time.
What happens to my OPT authorization if my market research contract role ends?
F-1 OPT students have a 90-day unemployment limit during the standard OPT period and a 150-day limit during the STEM extension. If your contract ends, that unemployment clock starts immediately. Keep documentation of all positions, including part-time or consulting work, because any authorized work in your field counts toward the requirement and pauses the unemployment accumulation.
Can I do freelance or consulting market research work on OPT?
Yes, self-employment is permitted on OPT as long as the work is directly related to your field of study. You would need to establish yourself as a legitimate business entity and document the work as practical training. Check with your DSO to confirm the arrangement meets USCIS guidelines before taking on freelance market research projects, particularly if you are on a STEM extension, which has stricter employer reporting requirements.
What technical skills should I highlight to strengthen my market research OPT applications?
Prioritize skills that align with the quantitative side of market research: proficiency in SPSS, R, or Python for statistical analysis, experience with survey platforms, and familiarity with data visualization tools. These technical competencies not only make you a stronger candidate but also support the case that your role qualifies as a specialty occupation, which matters if you eventually pursue H-1B sponsorship after your OPT period ends.