Technical Research Director, Data Collection; Research Methods - Melbourne

Flow Recruitment; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Flow Recruitment in Melbourne seeks a Technical Research Director to lead large-scale data collection programmes across online surveys, telephone interviewing, and emerging methods. You will shape research design, own budgets and timelines, and provide specialist guidance to government and institutional clients.

The role suits an established leader or a strong operator ready to grow; hybrid work in Melbourne with three days in the office and two days remote.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large, multi-method data collection programmes.

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee large-scale data collection programmes across multiple modes.
• Contribute to research design and questionnaire testing.
• Own operational, technical and commercial success including budgets and timelines.
• Advise clients and senior stakeholders with specialist technical input.
• Address data collection challenges across populations and contexts.
• Lead and develop project managers and research operations staff.
• Shape approach to new technology including AI and alternative methods.

Skills

Data collection programmes

Multi-method research

Budget management

Client facing

Leadership

AI adoption

Job description

Technical Research Director, Data Collection; Research Methods - Melbourne

This is an opportunity to lead some of the largest and most complex data collection programmes in Australian social research. Working within a well-established education research practice, you will take ownership of programmes spanning multiple collection modes, government funded and central to national policy and reporting.

Programmes of this scale and complexity are rare. This role offers a platform to build real authority in the data collection space and genuine scope to shape how the organisation evolves its approach through new technology and methods.

The Role

• Design and implement large scale data collection programmes spanning online surveys, telephone interviewing, paper based and emerging technology enabled methods
• Contribute upstream to research design, including questionnaire development and testing, not just downstream fieldwork execution
• Own the operational, technical and commercial success of major programmes, including budgets, scoping, timelines and quality outcomes
• Manage sophisticated government and institutional clients, providing specialist technical advice and pushing back professionally when required
• Solve complex data collection challenges, finding the most effective way to reach and capture data across different populations and contexts
• Lead and develop project managers and research operations staff
• Help shape the organisation's approach to new technology, AI and alternative data collection methods

The Person

• A track record implementing and running large, multi-method data collection programmes
• Comfortable with the operational, technical and commercial complexity that comes with research at scale
• Strong client facing credibility, able to advise and, where necessary, push back on sophisticated, research literate clients
• A commercially minded approach, treating budgets and outcomes with a high level of ownership
• A leader measured not only by technical depth but by how you develop and inspire others
• At ease with modern technology and evolving ways of working

This role will suit either an established leader ready to step in immediately, or a strong operator with the technical foundations and judgement to grow into it.

Depending on your strengths and interests, this role could evolve toward leading a broader portfolio of major data collection programmes or lean into light analytics. For the right person, this is a chance to become one of the leading authorities in Australia on managing large scale, complex data collection at scale.

Melbourne based. Hybrid working with three days in the office and two days from home. Remuneration is competitive and will be discussed in the context of your experience and capability. The employer's name will be shared with shortlisted candidates.