Your responsibilities:

Reporting to a Research Director, an Associate Research Director oversees various accounts and multiple projects and brings technical expertise to the research team, while developing a team of Research Managers.

Account:

Responsible for 3-4 FMCG product testing Accounts: client retention, client delight and Account growth
Ensure revenue targets for assigned accounts are achieved
Develop proactive plans to address risks and capitalize on opportunities within accounts
Oversee timely, accurate, and high‑quality project delivery for Account team

Projects:

Lead the development and delivery of complex proposals and tenders
Bring technical expertise and ensure the use of best‑practice methodologies
Deliver complex regional and global projects: play active role in project management, reporting and holistic delivery of projects
Provide strategic, story-led recommendations based on client feedback, market trends, and project performance
Ensure project execution aligns with client objectives and broader business priorities

Team

Line manage 2-3 Research Managers
Manage workload allocation and resource planning for the team
Ensure Research Managers receive appropriate coaching and training
Mentor team members in research skills, leadership, and career development
Ensure outputs from team members meet the expected standards of quality and insight

Qualifications

Minimum 3 years in consumer research and/or sensory research
FMCG product testing experience: practical experience of core product testing methodologies: i.e. HUTs, CLTs, IDIs
Significant experience in quantitative consumer research methodologies
Minimum foundational understanding of qual research: when to recommend qual/bring in qual experts from within SAM
Significant experience in a Research manager role
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
Proficiency in MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc
Strong leadership abilities to manage teams and oversee large-scale research initiatives
Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills
Rigorous, responsive and proactive