Qualitative Research Director

Spalding Goobey Associates; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Spalding Goobey Associates in London is seeking a Director to lead qualitative research initiatives that merge insight with strategic design thinking. You will steer high-profile projects from design through debrief, mentor a small team, and play a senior role in client relationships.

The role emphasizes leading with a view, shaping methodologies, and advancing a design-led consultancy approach that feeds into brand development and NPD discussions.

Qualifications

• Extensive qualitative research leadership experience.
• Experience leading teams and projects in a design-led consultancy.
• Strong client engagement and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-profile projects from design through to debrief and ensure quality and on-time delivery.
• Moderate and facilitate a mix of in-person and online sessions with clients and consumers.
• Shape methodology, lead analysis and deliver the storytelling.
• Mentor and develop a small internal team.
• Contribute to proposals, pitches and build the personal profile through content and events.
• Act as a senior point of contact for key clients and grow relationships.

Skills

Qualitative research

Team leadership

Design & Brand

Strategic thinking

Client relationships

Job description

London (Hybrid)

Fantastic opportunity for a qualitative Director to join an independent consultancy with a strong reputation for combining qualitative research with strategic design thinking. They work with some of the world's most recognisable names in consumer goods, providing insight that feeds directly into design, packaging and brand development.

Over the years they've pioneered new ways of working across packaging, brand language and creative development – work that regularly leads into NPD, innovation and bigger strategic pieces. If you like insight with a visible, tangible outcome, this is it. Meritocratic, well-run and refreshingly opinionated, this is a team that protects space for genuine thinking time, stays plugged into culture, and expects you to have a view and back it. Politics isn't part of the deal.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading high-profile projects from design through to debrief, taking ultimate responsibility for quality and on-time delivery.
• Moderating and facilitating a mix of face-to-face and online sessions, including client and consumer workshops.
• Shaping methodology, leading analysis and delivering the story.
• Playing a genuine leadership role internally – mentoring, developing and getting the best out of a small team.
• Getting involved in proposals and pitches and building your own profile through content, social and events rather than cold calling.
• Acting as a senior point of contact for key clients, growing existing relationships as well as winning new ones.

What you'll bring:

• Solid consumer qualitative research experience, both face-to-face and online.
• A track record of leading teams and projects at a senior level, ideally within a research, insight or design-led consultancy.
• A genuine interest in design and brand, and what it means for the people who buy into it.
• Strong strategic and critical thinking, with the confidence to challenge and say no when it matters.
• A collaborative, curious approach – someone who shares knowledge freely and brings energy to a team.

You’ll bring the qual skills, the energy and the ideas – in return you’ll get genuine autonomy, a team that backs each other, and a clear path onward for someone who doesn't want to stand still.

A rare chance to lead where insight and design genuinely meet.