At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead insights for clients, turning data into impactful strategies and creative recommendations.
- Company: Dynamic agency focused on culture-driven insights and innovative solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a curious and inclusive team that values collaboration and cultural awareness.
- Why this job: Shape culturally relevant work for top brands while collaborating with creative minds.
- Qualifications: Experience in insights, strategy, or analytics with strong storytelling skills.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
You will be the day-to-day insight lead for a core client, owning the measurement & evaluation workstream and turning audience, cultural and performance data into clear recommendations that shape strategy, creative and activation. The role combines hands-on analysis with proactive client management and close collaboration across Play’s Strategy, Creative, Client Services and Activation teams.
Working with the head of the measurement department, you’ll design and deliver quantitative and qualitative research (surveys, simple communities or depth interviews), plus desk research, social listening, market intelligence and media/performance analysis - translating findings into stories that inform briefs, creative territories, channel choices and evaluation frameworks.
What You’ll Do
- Insight and measurement
- Build learning agendas and M&E frameworks tied to brand and campaign KPIs; deliver regular reporting and “so what” recommendations for optimisation and post-campaign effectiveness.
- Plan and analyse quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews/mini groups; synthesise desk research and cultural trends into sharp POVs and brief inputs.
- Translate social, search and content signals into audience and cultural insights that guide creative and channel choices.
- Data tools and analytics
- Use HMN’s Converged / Converged.AI to connect audience intelligence with planning and activation, ensuring privacy first cross-platform planning and transparent reporting.
- Run social listening and conversation analysis (e.g., Talkwalker or Meltwater) to size spaces, track sentiment/themes, identify creators/communities and monitor brand/campaign health.
- Build profiles using audience data sources (e.g., YouGov, GWI), enriching segmentation with attitudes, interests, media habits and fandom cues.
- Partner with Strategy
- Co-create audience definitions, comms tasks and test and learn roadmaps; shape measurement plans aligned to the Intelligence → Design → Activate → Measure cadence.
- Develop evidence-based brief inputs (problem definition, audience tensions, passion points, role for brand) and contribute to integrated Playbooks and pitch narratives.
- Partner with Creative and Activation
- Provide concise insight packs for ideation (audiences, trends, formats, creators) and pressure test ideas against data-backed hypotheses.
- Set up live dashboards and weekly readouts during flight to inform agile optimisation across social, influencer, content and experiential.
- Client leadership
- Be the primary day-to-day contact for insight/M&E: run WIPs, manage timelines and scopes, brief partners/suppliers and ensure outputs are accurate, timely and commercially sound.
- Present findings simply and persuasively to client stakeholders, capturing decisions and next steps.
About You
You’re a data curious storyteller who loves culture and cares about effectiveness. You can move from a spreadsheet to a deck to a room of stakeholders with confidence, and you’re comfortable owning the plan as well as the detail. Loving sport and embedding culture in your work are big ticks but not essential, as long as you’re willing to immerse yourself in our world.
Must Have Experience
- Agency side experience in insight, strategy or analytics with hands-on delivery of research, reporting and client communication (typically 2–4+ years).
- Proven ability to distil complex data into clear narratives and recommendations for strategy, creative and activation teams.
- Competent in Excel/Sheets, PowerPoint/Keynote and data visualisation basics; comfortable with survey platforms and/or qual moderation prep.
- Strong stakeholder management: run WIPs, manage suppliers, hit deadlines, and maintain high QA standards.
- Up to date on the social, sports and culture landscape and platform changes.
- Demonstrable analytical skills and comfort with data.
- Excellent time management across multiple projects.
Desirable
- Hands-on with YouGov datasets (e.g., Profiles) and audience profiling tools.
- Experience in Talkwalker or Meltwater for social listening; ability to build queries, tag themes and create automated dashboards.
- Sponsorship evaluation work.
- Creator/influencer discovery and measurement basics.
Ways of working and values
Curious, collaborative and positively challenging, you ask better questions to get to better work. Inclusive and culturally aware; you’re motivated by the belief that brands should participate credibly in culture, not just advertise in it.
What you’ll get – the chance to shape culturally resonant work for household name brands within an integrated village model that connects media, creative and experience end to end.
Senior Research and Insights Executive in London employer: Havas Play UK
At Play, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture, where creativity and data-driven insights come together to shape impactful strategies for renowned brands. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through continuous learning opportunities and the chance to work closely with diverse teams, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. Located in a vibrant area, we offer a dynamic environment that encourages innovation and celebrates cultural engagement, making it a truly rewarding place to advance your career as a Senior Research and Insights Executive.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Research and Insights Executive in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or a personal website showcasing your insights and research projects. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to insights and analytics. We want you to feel confident when discussing how you can turn data into actionable strategies.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Research and Insights Executive in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Research and Insights Executive role. Highlight your experience in insight, strategy, and analytics, and show how your skills align with the job description. We want to see how you can turn data into compelling narratives!
Showcase Your Data Skills:Since this role is all about data, don’t shy away from showcasing your analytical skills. Mention any tools you’ve used, like Excel or social listening platforms, and provide examples of how you've turned complex data into actionable insights. We love a good data story!
Be Client-Focused:Remember, client management is key! Share experiences where you’ve successfully managed client relationships or led projects. We’re looking for someone who can confidently present findings and recommendations to stakeholders, so let that shine through in your application.
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 at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Havas Play UK
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
As a Senior Research and Insights Executive, you'll be expected to handle a lot of data. Make sure you’re familiar with the tools mentioned in the job description, like HMN’s Converged and social listening platforms. Prepare examples of how you've used data to inform strategy or creative decisions in past roles.
✨Craft Your Story
You’ll need to distil complex data into clear narratives. Before the interview, practice explaining your past projects in a way that highlights your analytical skills and storytelling ability. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
✨Showcase Your Client Management Skills
Client leadership is key in this role. Be ready to discuss how you've managed client relationships, run WIPs, and ensured timely delivery of insights. Think of specific instances where you’ve successfully navigated challenges with clients and what the outcomes were.
✨Stay Culturally Relevant
The role requires an understanding of cultural trends and audience insights. Brush up on current events in sports and culture, and be prepared to discuss how these can influence brand strategies. Showing that you’re engaged with the cultural landscape will set you apart.
