Senior Lead, Research & Insights

Responsible for the successful delivery of projects within a defined capability area, owning and evolving delivery approaches, processes, skills and technology requirements that underpin the research capability. The role ensures research delivery excellence, fosters innovation and drives continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Key Results

• Productise core research offers to support repeatable, sustainable delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve quality and efficiency using automation, and increase wellbeing for the team.
• Deploy research capability into other projects to shape delivery approaches and provide systems‑level thinking for customers.
• Position Plexal as a key player in mission‑critical technology areas through insight and capability.
• Build and maintain research partnerships with consultancy or academic channel partners.
• Ensure research outputs are demonstrably used in downstream delivery or client decisions.

What You’ll Do – Capability Ownership

• Define and maintain strategic direction for the capability, including scope and value proposition.
• Own and evolve delivery methodology, tooling and quality standards.
• Act as the internal champion, ensuring the capability is well understood and leveraged across the business.

Project Delivery

• Oversee project quality, ensuring deliverables meet expectations.
• Provide delivery assurance and oversight, including risk management, resource planning and stakeholder engagement.
• Support mobilisation of new projects and smooth transitions between sales and delivery.

Quality & Performance

• Set and uphold quality standards across all workstreams.
• Monitor delivery performance, implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Conduct regular reviews and retrospectives, embedding lessons learned and best practices.

Governance & Portfolio Reporting

• Establish governance frameworks for consistent, transparent delivery practices.
• Track and report portfolio performance (KPIs, delivery health, risks, dependencies).
• Provide senior leadership with updates, insights and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, audit requirements and external standards.

People & Skills Development

• Line‑manage and mentor team members, supporting development and progression.
• Identify skills gaps and lead targeted interventions for capability maturity.
• Support onboarding and upskilling of new joiners.
• Ensure teams are appropriately resourced for development and growth objectives.

Collaboration & Influence

• Work closely with directors, account leads and other capability leads to integrate delivery across portfolios.
• Represent the capability in internal forums and external engagements.
• Identify opportunities for thought leadership and innovation.

Your Skills

• Proven qualitative and quantitative research skills (end‑to‑end design, scoping, interviews, surveys, market research, data analysis).
• Ability to define and scale research delivery methodologies, including quality frameworks and KPIs.
• Familiarity with AI‑enabled research tools and automations to enhance efficiency.
• Synthesize complex research into clear, engaging outputs suitable for senior leaders.
• Plan and organise work proactively, aligning with policies and protocols.
• Commercial acumen, ability to shape research propositions and nurture beneficial partnerships.
• Excellent listening, facilitating and influencing skills, including negotiation with senior leaders and external stakeholders.

Your Experience

• Research, innovation or technology background with passion for emerging technology and interest in technology policy.
• Experience with a range of research methodologies, critically assessing research for actionable insights.
• Leadership experience overseeing a team, capability or portfolio, setting direction and delivery quality.
• Experience providing delivery oversight, including risk management and resources across multiple projects.
• Successful collaboration, contributing to delivery team success.
• Ability to build trust‑based relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Credible outside‑in perspective for clients on emerging market needs, trends and opportunities.
• Experience developing repeatable research frameworks or toolkits for scalable delivery (desired).
• Higher education degree (essential).
• SC or DV clearance (desired).

Who You Are

• Passion for emerging technologies (AI, quantum, biotechnology, cyber, IoT) and associated startups.
• Balance rigor and customer focus to maximise impact.
• Flexible within a matrix structure and changing operational requirements.
• Personal resilience and calm focus on objectives in the face of challenges.
• Willing to travel nationally for project delivery and visit all Plexal sites.
• Willingness to be eligible for SC clearance (British citizen or UK resident for 5 years).
• Willingness to accommodate in‑person and remote working patterns.

Benefits

• Salary £80,000 – £100,000 dependent on skills and experience.
• Annual bonus scheme.
• Generous pension scheme (company contribution up to 10%).
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Volunteering day.

Equal Opportunities

Plexal is an equal opportunities employer. We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are a disability‑committed employer, willing to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.