Senior Research Executive in City of Westminster

We are currently looking for a Senior Research Executive to join our team supporting behaviour change and strategic communications programmes across international development and related fields. We partner with governments, NGOs, foundations, civil society and global development actors to generate insights that inform impactful programmes.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Research Executive, you will support the design and delivery of mixed‑method research projects that underpin behaviour change and strategic communications strategies. You will help bring evidence to life, coordinate end‑to‑end research activity and ensure projects are delivered on time and with actionable insight. This role combines hands‑on research, project coordination and stakeholder liaison with clear progression toward leading workstreams under the guidance of a Research Manager or Associate Director. This role is a 6-month fixed term contract. This is a full‑time role, based in London on a hybrid working basis, with 2–3 days per week in the office.

What you’ll do:

• Support the design of mixed‑method research studies and help develop tools such as questionnaires, interview guides and sampling plans.
• Coordinate quantitative and qualitative fieldwork with external partners, and contribute to interviews, focus groups, online surveys and evidence reviews.
• Prepare and analyse datasets; conduct basic quantitative analysis and synthesise qualitative insights to identify key behaviours, barriers and motivators.
• Help turn research findings into clear, engaging deliverables—slide decks, reports and briefings—tailored for non‑technical audiences.
• Assist senior colleagues during client presentations and manage day‑to‑day project coordination, timelines and updates.
• Monitor data quality and project risks, proposing practical solutions as needed.
• Contribute to team learning, share insights on new methods and support improvements to internal ways of working.

ABOUT YOU

The successful candidate will be curious, analytical and passionate about how research and evidence can drive better decision‑making. They will thrive in a fast‑paced environment, enjoy problem‑solving, and be eager to understand how research supports strategy, creativity and impact.

What you’ll bring (knowledge, expertise, experience, and skills):

• Proven experience in market, social or development research and/or monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) with involvement in at least one full research cycle.
• Experience supporting both quantitative and qualitative studies, including tool design, fieldwork coordination, analysis and reporting.
• Sound understanding of core research and evaluation principles (sampling, questionnaire design, basic evaluation designs, triangulation).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to distil findings clearly for non‑technical audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and work to deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Strong organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail, including formatting and quality control of deliverables.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

BONUS POINTS

• Strong analytical skills and confidence working in Excel; familiarity with SPSS, R, Stata or similar tools.
• Experience working with international development, humanitarian, government or philanthropic clients.
• Experience contributing to evaluation or learning frameworks (theories of change, indicators, learning questions).
• Exposure to participatory or human‑centred research approaches such as co‑creation, HCD, ethnography or PAR.
• Knowledge of thematic areas such as governance, health, gender, conflict, or specific world regions.

WHAT YOU GET

A competitive salary and benefits package that includes 27 days holiday per year, pension contributions, private healthcare, discounted dental insurance, enhanced maternity/parental leave, plus a whole host of others including:

• Cultural stimulation allowance - £250 per person per year
• Half days off before bank holidays
• Emergency care days for dependants
• Up to 5 days volunteering leave per year to work for a registered charity
• Up to 10 days special emergency leave per year
• Season Ticket loan
• Payroll Giving Scheme
• Thursday drinks to unwind and socialize
• An annual Summer and Christmas party
• Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion sees us offer inclusive bank holidays
• We also offer learning opportunities around D&I, targeted mentoring programmes and the opportunity to participate in several active Employee Led Networks and associated events.
• Finally, this role will be supported with all the necessary personal development required to set someone up for success.

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

M+C Saatchi World Services is a specialist division of M+C Saatchi Group, the world’s largest independent communications network. Our specialists work in office hubs across six continents, grounding our global expertise in local nuance. We offer award‑winning commercial communications capabilities, which are utilized by global organizations to address the world’s most complex problems across defence, development, diplomacy, homeland and national security, law and order, health, education, and the environment. We work with clients that want to help the hardest-to-reach, hardest-to-influence audiences. This includes a range of Western Government departments, such as DOS and USAID; partner governments, including the U.K. and Australia; and prominent IGOs/NGOs such as the U.N. We are a comms agency that works on behaviour change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defence and Stabilization. Whether it’s producing critically acclaimed feature films in Africa, to TV shows in the Middle East, to pop music videos in Asia, we have a record of leveraging creativity to access communities anywhere in the world.