Research Manager in Southampton

At The Harris Poll UK, we exist to understand consumer needs in a demanding world.

We help organisations stay closer to the people they serve through research that combines hard data with human truths.

Our work spans customer experience, reputation, thought leadership, innovation and brand strategy, helping clients make smarter decisions in a world where consumer expectations are constantly evolving.

Overview

Research Managers play a central role in the successful delivery of client programmes and projects across the business.

They are responsible for managing research from end to end, building strong client relationships, leading project teams and ensuring outputs deliver meaningful commercial value.

This role requires someone who combines strong research expertise with commercial awareness, excellent organisational skills and the ability to translate data into compelling, actionable insight.

Research Managers are expected to think strategically, operate proactively and contribute positively to both client growth and team development.

Responsibilities

• Project & Programme Leadership
• Manage and deliver quantitative and qualitative research projects through the full project lifecycle, from project kick-off through to final delivery.
• Lead project design, questionnaire development, discussion guides, fieldwork management, quality assurance and reporting.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to a consistently high standard.
• Coordinate effectively across Client Advisory and Research Operations teams to ensure smooth project execution.
• Proactively identify risks, challenges or opportunities throughout project delivery and take ownership of resolving them.
• Client Management
• Build strong day-to-day relationships with clients and become a trusted extension of their team.
• Lead client communications across projects and programmes, ensuring a responsive, organised and professional experience.
• Develop a strong understanding of clients’ commercial objectives, sectors and strategic challenges.
• Support senior colleagues and stakeholders in growing client relationships and identifying opportunities for additional value or future work.
• Escalate issues appropriately while demonstrating confidence and ownership in resolving day-to-day challenges independently.
• Insight & Storytelling
• Deliver clear, commercially relevant and strategically meaningful insight that goes beyond reporting data.
• Identify trends, tensions and implications within research findings and translate them into compelling narratives.
• Create high-quality reports, presentations and client-ready outputs that demonstrate strong storytelling and consultancy thinking.
• Contribute to thought leadership, proactive insight generation and wider business initiatives where relevant.
• Team Support & Development
• Support, mentor and guide junior team members across project delivery and day-to-day development.
• Delegate effectively and provide clear direction across project teams.
• Contribute to team resourcing discussions, workflow management and operational efficiencies.
• Help ensure established processes and quality standards are consistently followed across projects.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team environment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience within a market research, insight or consultancy environment.
• Strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical thinking and confidence interpreting data and identifying meaningful insight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and storytelling capability.
• Comfortable managing client relationships and operating in a client-facing environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality delivery.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong commercial awareness.
• Experience supporting or mentoring junior team members is desirable.
• Advanced Power Point and Excel skills preferred.

Benefits

• 30 days Annual Leave + 8 Bank Holidays
• Flexible hybrid working model, supporting a balance between office collaboration and remote working
• Private medical insurance, dental and cash plan
• Enhanced parental leave – Maternity/Adoption and Paternity leave
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme (statutory employer contributions)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts Platform
• Dog friendly office in Southampton

Compensation

• £40,000-£45,000
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