Research Manager

Legal 500; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Legal 500 in Leeds is seeking a Research Manager to lead a team of Research Analysts, delivering lawyer-led coverage and high-quality editorial projects on a global market.

Based in Leeds with hybrid working (3 days in office, 2 remote), you will collaborate with Senior Editors and the Chief Research Officer, manage deadlines, and build strong relationships with partner-level lawyers and business development teams.

Qualifications

• Proven line management experience and development planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of editorial projects and high-quality, lawyer-led coverage.
• Manage a team of Research Analysts and ensure timely, accurate output.
• Collaborate with Senior Editors and Chief Research Officer to identify priority markets and maintain quality standards.

Skills

People management

Project leadership

Communication

Deadline management

Editorial/research

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

About Legal 500

Legal 500 is a global legal market research, data and intelligence business. Our research helps corporate clients make informed decisions about legal representation and gives law firms insight into their market position, performance, and clients.

Beyond research, we’re building a growing data, benchmarking, market-intelligence and subscription service offering. We bring the legal market together through a global programme of events - awards ceremonies, conferences and roundtables that convene leading law firms, in-house teams and their advisers. And through Legal Business, our journalistic title, we deliver independent news, analysis and commentary on the business of law and the strategy, performance and leadership of the world’s leading law firms.

We are a growing, multi-site organisation, with colleagues working across research, data, technology, product, journalism, commercial and events in London, Leeds and Bristol.

About the role:

The Research Manager role is central to Legal 500’s strategic growth, leading the delivery of high-quality, lawyer-led coverage of our global market. Based in our new Leeds office, you will manage a team of Research Analysts, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of editorial projects, and fostering a high-performing, supportive team culture.

This is a hands-on leadership position that combines people management, project oversight, and stakeholder engagement. You will work closely with our Senior Editors and Chief Research Officer, alongisde commercial colleagues to identify priority markets, manage research cycles, maintain quality standards, and build relationships with partner-level lawyers and business development teams in leading law firms.

The role requires excellent organisational skills, a proactive and results-driven mindset, and the ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

What we're looking for:

The ideal candidate will be a proven people manager with strong communication skills, able to motivate and coach a team while delivering complex projects to schedule. You will be comfortable working independently, confident in decision-making, and able to build credibility with senior stakeholders both internally and externally.

Essential experience:

• Proven line management experience, including performance reviews and development planning
• Track record of delivering project-based work to deadlines
• Experience in research-led, editorial, or data-informed environments
• Comfortable operating independently in a deadline-driven context

Desirable experience:

• Background in market research, publishing, insight generation, or similar industries
• Exposure to professional services, B2B environments, or legal markets (advantageous but not essential)
• Experience liaising with commercial or client-facing teams

From a competency perspective, we’re looking for someone who is:

• An effective supervisor: sets clear goals, motivates the team, and delivers constructive feedback
• A strong communicator: able to engage confidently with law firm partners, business development professionals, and internal stakeholders
• Results-oriented: able to keep projects on track and maintain team focus across competing deadlines
• Organised and detail-oriented: ensures all research output meets accuracy and consistency standards
• A relationship builder: credible, approachable, and able to maintain strong professional relationships at all levels
• Adaptable and resilient: thrives in a fast-moving environment and responds positively to change
• A culture contributor: fosters an inclusive, respectful, and high-performing team culture

Role information:

• This role is based in Leeds (central location, close to Leeds station)
• Hybrid working - 3 days a week in the office, 2 days remote