Senior Research Consultant - Transportation Planning

We are seeking a Senior Research Consultant to join the Manchester team to support the delivery of high-quality social and market research across Manchester and the wider UK. The role involves leading and contributing to robust research projects for central and local government clients, generating evidence-based insights that inform policy decisions, shape services, and drive positive change for communities and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Delivery
  • Lead the design and development of robust, methodologically sound research frameworks aligned to client objectives.
  • Oversee and coordinate data collection activities, including survey deployment and fieldwork execution.
  • Design and facilitate qualitative research, including moderating focus groups and conducting in-depth interviews.
  • Apply advanced qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to generate actionable insights.
  • Ensure data integrity, accuracy, and compliance with MRS and data protection regulations.
  • Produce clear, concise, and insight-driven reports tailored to client and stakeholder needs.
  • Develop and deliver high-quality presentations that communicate findings effectively and support decision-making.
• Project Management
  • Manage the delivery of small and medium-sized projects, ensuring outputs meet quality standards, programme deadlines and budget requirements.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to integrate research outputs into wider project delivery.
  • Maintain strong risk identification and mitigation, raising issues early and managing them appropriately.
  • Support effective project coordination, including task planning, resourcing, and progress reporting.
• Client & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Provide client contact and liaison without supervision, acting as a trusted point of contact.
  • Present technical findings clearly to a range of audiences, including non-technical stakeholders.
  • Support workshops, meetings, and consultations by providing clear technical advice and insight.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Provide supervision, guidance and mentoring to junior colleagues, supporting their technical development and helping build methodological design and analysis skills.
  • Contribute to small team management and line management responsibilities where required.
  • Encourage consistent technical standards, knowledge sharing and collaborative working.
• Business Development
  • Support the preparation of competitive technical and financial proposals.
  • Contribute to bid writing, work planning, and defining appropriate research approaches and deliverables for new opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Degree or above in relevant field such as Social Science, Market Research, Geography (Human), and/or relevant MRS qualifications.
• Prior experience in the technical delivery of Social and Market Research projects, including leading all stages of the research lifecycle, including research design, project delivery, and client management.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and work to deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail and a desire for high quality outputs.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot logistical or operational issues in real time.
• Comfortable using MS Excel. Knowledge of other software will be beneficial and should have a desire/aptitude to learn new software such as survey programming (SNAP and Askia) and managing data (SPSS).

At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!