Research Director, AI Security and Trust

About The Role & Team

IDC is seeking a Research Director to help define and lead research coverage in one of the most dynamic areas of the security market: AI security and trust. This role will focus on emerging technologies, vendors, and buyer priorities at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and cloud, and digital infrastructure.

The Research Director will be responsible for building syndicated research and thought leadership around the technologies, practices, and market shifts shaping how organizations secure AI models, data, agents, and infrastructure. Coverage is expected to span areas such as AI runtime security, AI trust and governance, AI data security, agentic identity management, AI-enabled security operations, and AI factory / AI infrastructure security.

This role will work with both vendor and end-user clients to assess market requirements, technology adoption patterns, investment priorities, and competitive dynamics. The position requires a strong mix of analytical rigor, market vision, client engagement, and commercial orientation. The successful candidate will help shape IDC’s point of view in this emerging market, build relationships with leading vendors and industry stakeholders, and support both syndicated and custom research opportunities.

What You’ll Do

• Lead syndicated research coverage in the emerging AI security market, with emphasis on high-growth categories such as AI runtime security, AI trust and governance, AI data security, agentic identity, AI-enabled SOC, and AI infrastructure security.
• Develop a research agenda that addresses the needs of security, AI, cloud, and infrastructure buyers as well as technology vendors and investors.
• Conduct market research, including market sizing, forecasting, competitive analysis, and trend analysis, for emerging AI security segments.
• Write a broad range of research deliverables, including market analysis, vendor assessments, forecasts, buyer guidance, and thought leadership.
• Track market developments, vendor strategies, startup activity, partnerships, funding trends, and emerging product categories across the AI security landscape.
• Engage regularly with vendor clients through briefings, inquiries, advisory calls, executive discussions, and industry events.
• Engage end-user organizations to understand adoption priorities, organizational challenges, governance needs, and implementation patterns.
• Support custom research and consulting projects for clients in a timely and commercially effective manner.
• Collaborate with IDC analysts across security, AI, cloud, infrastructure, data, and software markets to build integrated research perspectives.
• Communicate findings through written research, presentations, webinars, conferences, media engagement, and executive meetings.
• Help identify and develop new client opportunities tied to IDC’s expanding coverage of AI security and trust.

Preferred Coverage Areas

The role may include leadership across several of the following domains:

• AI Runtime Security: protection against LLM attacks, prompt injection, misuse, model manipulation, and emerging runtime enforcement approaches.
• AI Trust and Governance: governance frameworks, policy controls, compliance, assurance, model oversight, and responsible AI security practices.
• AI Data Security: discovery, classification, protection, and governance of AI-ready data, including key and secrets management and related cryptographic issues.
• Agentic Identity Management: identity, authentication, authorization, and privilege control for nonhuman identities, agents, and autonomous systems.
• AI-Enabled SOC / Agentic SOC: use of AI in security operations, automation, augmentation of analysts, and emerging vendor ecosystems in next-generation SOC tooling.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in technology research, consulting, product strategy, cybersecurity, AI, cloud, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity markets, vendors, and buyer priorities.
• Strong knowledge of AI, cloud, and data platform trends, especially where they intersect with security and governance.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze emerging markets, synthesize qualitative and quantitative inputs, and produce clear, differentiated research.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present to senior executive audiences.
• Experience engaging with technology vendors, enterprise buyers, investors, and media is preferred.
• Strong commercial instincts, including the ability to support syndicated subscriptions, client inquiry, and custom research opportunities.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a global research team.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to balance recurring research deliverables, client interaction, and thought leadership.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, especially PowerPoint and Excel; experience with forecasting, survey analysis, and market modeling is a plus.
• Willingness to travel for client meetings, industry events, and team collaboration.

Why This Role Stands Out

At IDC, your work helps shape how the world understands technology and where it goes next. You collaborate with curious, high-caliber colleagues who value rigor, integrity, and shared success. As the premier global provider of trusted technology intelligence, IDC equips business and technology leaders with the evidence they need to make confident decisions. Our insights inform strategy, investment, and innovation across industries and regions.

Recognized by IIAR as Analyst Firm of the Year for five consecutive years, IDC sets the standard for credibility and impact. With more than 1,000 analysts worldwide and a truly global perspective, we combine deep expertise with practical relevance. Here, your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your contributions provide the insights leaders rely on every day. It is meaningful work, backed by a culture that supports growth, collaboration, and long-term career development with a globally respected brand.

What We Offer

• 15 vacation days (prorated based on start date)
• 12 company-paid holidays
• 6 paid sick days (prorated based on start date; may vary by state)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 2 floating holidays (prorated based on start date)
• 1 volunteer day
• 401(k) company match (IDC matches 3% on the first 6% of employee contributions)
• Company-paid short-term disability
• Company-paid life insurance
• Company-paid parental leave

Compensation Transparency

At IDC, we are committed to fair and equitable pay practices. Employees are compensated equitably for their work, aligned with their skills and experience. Salary and incentive structures are determined through a rigorous process that considers experience, education, certifications, role-specific requirements, internal equity, and verified U.S. market data from an independent third-party partner.

The expected total annual compensation, depending on location and experience, is between $150,000 – $200,000, inclusive of base salary and variable compensation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IDC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. Employment eligibility verification required. We participate in E-Verify.

Key skills/competency

• Research Director
• AI Security
• AI Trust
• Cybersecurity
• Cloud Security
• Data Security
• Market Analysis
• Vendor Assessment
• Client Engagement
• Thought Leadership