At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and deliver impactful research programmes that shape strategic decision making.
- Company: Globally recognised business with a collaborative and supportive culture.
- Benefits: Unlimited annual leave, competitive benefits, and hybrid working in Central London.
- Other info: Great progression potential within a growing team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on business strategy and insights in a high-profile role.
- Qualifications: Strong research experience, excellent organisation skills, and ability to manage multiple projects.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
A globally recognised business is looking for a Research Director to join its growing in-house strategy and insights function. This is a high impact role focused on helping shape the organisation’s research capability, insight frameworks, and strategic decision making through strong, commercially focused execution.
Working within a collaborative and forward thinking team, you’ll lead and deliver complex research programmes that support business performance, audience understanding, and portfolio wide strategic planning across a large network of brands and events.
The Opportunity
You’ll take ownership of key insight programmes from end to end, from research design and stakeholder management through to delivery, synthesis, storytelling, and implementation. A major focus of the role will be managing and evolving large scale tracking and event insight programmes across a portfolio of 40+ events, ensuring outputs remain commercially valuable, operationally effective, and strategically aligned across the wider business.
The role combines:
- Strategic research leadership
- Hands on project delivery and execution
- Agency management
- Team leadership
You’ll manage and mentor a direct report while partnering closely with stakeholders across multiple teams and markets. Success in this role will require someone who is highly organised, detail oriented, commercially minded, and able to make smart decisions around prioritisation, resource allocation, and when to focus on macro-level trends versus individual event performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead quantitative and mixed methodology research projects from briefing through to delivery and implementation
- Oversee large-scale tracking programmes, post event research initiatives, and portfolio wide benchmarking projects
- Manage multiple concurrent project streams while maintaining high standards of execution and attention to detail
- Translate complex datasets into clear, commercially actionable recommendations
- Consolidate multiple data sources into cohesive insight frameworks that support strategic planning
- Partner with external research agencies to ensure high quality delivery, consistency, and efficiency across programmes
- Drive continuous improvement of survey design and reporting frameworks to ensure comparability and alignment across global teams
- Support the evolution of audience measurement, social listening, and performance tracking capabilities
- Develop reporting approaches that help identify portfolio wide trends, opportunities, and strategic priorities
- Partner closely with stakeholders across the business, presenting findings clearly and confidently
- Manage and mentor a direct report, providing guidance, structure, and development support
- Act as a proactive research and insights partner to the wider business, identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation
What We’re Looking For
- Strong experience within research and insights, ideally in media, entertainment, consumer, agency, or related sectors
- Excellent quantitative research foundations, particularly across tracking studies, ad hoc research, and large scale insight programmes
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast paced environment
- Strong executional capability with excellent organisation, prioritisation, and attention to detail
- Comfortable being hands on across project delivery while maintaining a strategic commercial perspective
- Experience managing external research agencies and multiple stakeholder groups
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to navigate complexity and competing priorities
- Experience synthesising multiple data sources into clear strategic narratives
- Experience managing or mentoring junior team members
- Exposure to methodologies and tools such as MaxDiff, conjoint, qualitative research, social listening, Tableau, or meta analysis would be advantageous, but are not essential
- Familiarity with social listening platforms such as Brandwatch, Sprinklr, or Talkwalker is beneficial
- Curious, proactive, adaptable, and solutions oriented mindset
Please note: deep expertise in methodologies such as MaxDiff and conjoint is not essential. The priority is finding someone with strong research fundamentals, excellent delivery capability, and the ability to manage complex, multi-stream insight programmes effectively.
Why Join?
- Opportunity to shape and evolve strategic insight programmes within a globally recognised business
- High impact role with meaningful influence on business decision making and research strategy
- Collaborative, supportive, and people-focused culture
- Hybrid working — 3 days per week in a fantastic Central London office
- Strong progression potential within a growing function
- Unlimited annual leave and competitive benefits package
Research Director - Client Side employer: Echo Talent
Join a globally recognised business as a Research Director and be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking team that values strategic insights and research. With a focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to shape impactful research programmes while enjoying a supportive culture, hybrid working arrangements, and unlimited annual leave. This role not only offers meaningful influence on business decision-making but also provides a pathway for professional development within a dynamic environment in Central London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Research Director - Client Side
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its recent projects. Show them you’re not just another candidate; you’re genuinely interested in their work and how you can contribute to their strategic insights and research goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! When discussing your past experiences, focus on how you’ve turned complex data into actionable insights. This will resonate well with the role’s emphasis on strategic decision-making.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Research Director - Client Side
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in research and insights. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t be shy about showcasing your relevant projects!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:Since this role involves managing and mentoring a team, it’s important to demonstrate your leadership experience. Share examples of how you've guided teams or projects in the past, and how you can bring that to our collaborative environment.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, clarity is key! Use straightforward language to explain your experience and achievements. We appreciate well-structured applications that get straight to the point without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Echo Talent
✨Know Your Research Fundamentals
Make sure you brush up on your quantitative research foundations. Be ready to discuss your experience with tracking studies and large-scale insight programmes, as these will be key in demonstrating your capability for the role.
✨Showcase Your Project Management Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously. Highlight your organisational skills and attention to detail, as these are crucial for overseeing complex research programmes.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice presenting your findings in a clear and concise manner. You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to translate complex datasets into actionable insights, so think about how you can make your narratives compelling.
✨Be Proactive and Solutions-Oriented
During the interview, showcase your curious mindset and adaptability. Think of instances where you've identified opportunities for improvement or innovation in past roles, as this aligns perfectly with what they’re looking for.
