Associate Director (Research Ops)

We at Focaldata are on a mission to close the "understanding gap" between what organisations believe about people and reality. By leveraging AI, we provide deeper, more accurate insights at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional methods. We have built an amazing team of research industry experts and great engineers to reimagine what is possible in research. We do impactful work with amazing organisations ranging from well-known brands to life-changing non-profits. Join us!

About the role

We’re looking for an Associate Director of Research Operations to supercharge our research delivery engine. You’ll play a critical role in shaping the team, evolving our delivery model, and ensuring excellence and consistency across every client touchpoint. This is a senior role that blends operational leadership, hands-on project management, and strategic account growth.

What you'll do

• Build a World-Class Research Ops Function. Own the end-to-end research delivery workflow — from brief through proposal, delivery, and wrap-up. You’ll refine processes and set the pace for excellence.
• Resource Planning at Speed and Scale. Lead monthly, quarterly and annual planning to ensure we have the right people in the right roles at the right time — balancing demand, capacity, and growth.
• Grow an Outstanding Team. Drive hiring pipelines and lead performance management and development for our research team. You’ll mentor junior staff and instil a strong standard for training and development.
• Own High-Value Projects and Accounts. Take the reins on high-priority, high-impact client projects and own a set of key accounts — delivering excellence and building long-term relationships.
• Drive Operational Excellence. Spot bottlenecks before they happen. Redesign workflows where needed. You’ll bring first-principles thinking, curiosity, and a strong sense of ownership to build systems that scale.

Who you are

• Experienced in Research Ops and Delivery. You have 5+ years of experience as a quant or mixed-methods researcher — over 90% of our projects are quant. You’ve led teams and owned complex research workflows, whether agency- or client-side. You understand the mechanics of good research delivery and know how to scale quality.
• A Natural Operator. You bring energy, urgency, and grip to everything you do. You thrive in a fast-paced environment and know how to make things happen — without waiting for a playbook.
• A Builder, Not a Borrower. You’re not here to copy-paste “best practice” from elsewhere. You think in first principles, test ideas quickly, and design systems that work for Focaldata, our team and our tech.
• Strong on People and Process. You’re outstanding at managing people, developing talent, and driving performance — while also building the processes and systems they need to thrive.
• High Standards, High Output. You hold a high bar for quality — in delivery, in hiring, in training — and you move fast without compromising standards.

About Focaldata

At Focaldata, we’re building a new kind of tech-enabled research agency — that offers clients deep insight at the speed of software. You’ll get the opportunity to work alongside a highly collaborative team of researchers, client leads, engineers, data scientists and product specialists. We do impactful work with leading organisations, from brands like New Balance to campaign groups like Hope not Hate and non-profits like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Join us.

Focaldata is an equal opportunities employer. We believe in the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce for our business, team and customers. We encourage all applications regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage, pregnancy, maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We also understand that certain groups may not feel empowered to apply unless they match every single requirement. Please do apply even if you don't match 100% of every single requirement!