Associate Director

Focaldata Ltd; London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in market research seeks an Associate Director to elevate research capabilities and drive commercial success. You will oversee research projects, mentor a talented team, and manage client accounts while ensuring high standards across deliveries. This role predominantly requires in-office presence four days a week, focusing on developing innovative research solutions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in research consulting with a strong quantitative focus.
• Experience leading large, complex projects with stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage and grow client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end delivery of high-quality research projects.
• Set best practices for executing quotes and proposals.
• Hire and grow the research team by identifying skills gaps.

Skills

Research Consulting

Project Management

Client Relationship Management

Quantitative Analysis

Mentoring

Commercial Awareness

Proposal Writing

Job description

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At Focaldata we are on a mission to close the knowledge gap on public opinion. Our superstar research team is the cornerstone of achieving this. We are now looking for an Associate Director to help grow our research team, capabilities and client base. You will be a senior lead in our incredible team of researchers and pioneer the use of cutting-edge market research tools and analytical techniques, and helping solve some of the hardest problems in public opinion analysis.

What You'll Do

This role is an opportunity to shape and elevate the research capabilities of the team. You'll play a key role in delivering high-quality research, developing our team, and driving commercial success. You'll do this by:

• Owning the end-to-end delivery of research projects – ensuring high standards and a client-first approach to problem-solving.
• Setting best practices and improving standards – defining how we execute quotes, proposals, and client projects while ensuring exceptional quality across the board.
• Providing hands-on coaching and feedback – working closely with researchers to improve their skills, delivering 1:1 feedback, and ensuring robust QA on projects.
• Developing and mentoring your direct reports – running weekly 1:1s, formal reviews, and structured training sessions on research methodologies and client management.
• Leading strategically important client accounts – owning relationships with major clients, deeply understanding their needs, and proactively identifying opportunities for growth.
• Driving commercial success – improving conversion rates on proposals, ensuring that projects are both impactful and achievable, and helping to meet revenue targets.
• Independently converting new business – confidently winning new opportunities that come through our growth and marketing teams.
• Hiring and growing the team – identifying skills gaps, setting a high bar for new hires, and continuously improving the hiring process to build a world-class research team.

Who You Are (Skills & Experience)

• 5+ years of experience in research consulting, the role will be 90%+ quant focused.
• Experience leading large, complex research projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Proven ability to deliver high-quality research projects from scoping to execution, ensuring exceptional standards.
• Experience managing client relationships, with a track record of retaining and expanding key accounts.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to balance client needs with business growth objectives.
• Experience mentoring and managing team members, providing structured feedback and coaching.
• Confident in writing and delivering proposals, with a client-first approach to solving research problems.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with hiring and scaling research teams.
• A proactive and problem-solving mindset—someone who takes ownership and drives improvements.

Please note this role is predominantly in-office (4 days a week).

The pay range for this role is:

65,000 - 75,000 GBP per year (London)

Focaldata is an equal opportunities employer. We believe in the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce for our business, team and customers. We encourage all applications regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage, pregnancy, maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We also understand that certain groups may not feel empowered to apply unless they match every single requirement. Please do apply even if you don"t match 100% of every single requirement!