Research Manager

The Harris Poll UK, A Stagwell Company; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 30 days

Bank holidays 8

Hybrid/flexible working

Private medical & dental insurance

Enhanced parental leave

Job summary

The Harris Poll UK, a Stagwell Company, is seeking a Research Manager to lead client programmes and manage end-to-end research, building strong client relationships across projects.

You will translate data into actionable insights, guide junior team members, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality outputs in a hybrid working environment. The role rewards strategic thinking and commercial awareness.

Qualifications

• Previous experience within a market research, insight or consultancy environment.
• Strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical thinking and confidence interpreting data and identifying meaningful insight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and storytelling capability.
• Comfortable managing client relationships and operating in a client-facing environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality delivery.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong commercial awareness.
• Experience supporting or mentoring junior team members is desirable.
• Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and deliver research projects from kick-off through to final deliverables.
• Lead client communications across projects and programmes, ensuring a responsive and professional experience.
• Develop a strong understanding of clients’ commercial objectives, sectors and strategic challenges.
• Support senior colleagues and stakeholders in growing client relationships and identifying opportunities for value.
• Coordinate across Client Advisory and Research Operations teams to ensure smooth project execution.

Skills

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Storytelling

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

At The Harris Poll UK, we exist to understand consumer needs in a demanding world. We help organisations stay closer to the people they serve through research that combines hard data with human truths. Our work spans customer experience, reputation, thought leadership, innovation and brand strategy, helping clients make smarter decisions in a world where consumer expectations are constantly evolving.

Overvie

w
Research Managers play a central role in the successful delivery of client programmes and projects across the business. They are responsible for managing research from end to end, building strong client relationships, leading project teams and ensuring outputs deliver meaningful commercial valu

e.
This role requires someone who combines strong research expertise with commercial awareness, excellent organisational skills and the ability to translate data into compelling, actionable insight. Research Managers are expected to think strategically, operate proactively and contribute positively to both client growth and team developme

nt.
Responsibili

• rship
  Manage and deliver quantitative and qualitative research projects through the full project lifecycle, from project kick-off through to final del
• rting.Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to a consistently high sta
• ndard.Coordinate effectively across Client Advisory and Research Operations teams to ensure smooth project exec
• ution.Proactively identify risks, challenges or opportunities throughout project delivery and take ownership of resolving

them.
Client Man

• agement
  Build strong day-to-day relationships with clients and become a trusted extension of the
• ir team.Lead client communications across projects and programmes, ensuring a responsive, organised and professional exp
• erience.Develop a strong understanding of clients’ commercial objectives, sectors and strategic cha
• llenges.Support senior colleagues and stakeholders in growing client relationships and identifying opportunities for additional value or futu
• re work.Escalate issues appropriately while demonstrating confidence and ownership in resolving day-to-day challenges indepe

ndently.
Insight & Sto

• rytelling
  Deliver clear, commercially relevant and strategically meaningful insight that goes beyond repor
• ting data.Identify trends, tensions and implications within research findings and translate them into compelling n
• arratives.Create high-quality reports, presentations and client-ready outputs that demonstrate strong storytelling and consultancy
• thinking.Contribute to thought leadership, proactive insight generation and wider business initiatives where

relevant.
Team Support &

• Development
  Support, mentor and guide junior team members across project delivery and day-to-day
• development.Delegate effectively and provide clear direction across pr
• oject teams.Contribute to team resourcing discussions, workflow management and operational e
• fficiencies.Help ensure established processes and quality standards are consistently followed acro
• ss projects.Foster a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team
• ualifications
  Previous experience within a market research, insight or consultanc
• y environment.Strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research
• methodologies.Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities s
• imultaneously.Strong analytical thinking and confidence interpreting data and identifying meani
• ngful insight.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and storytelli
• ng capability.Comfortable managing client relationships and operating in a client-facin
• g environment.Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-qua
• lity delivery.Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong commerc
• ial awareness.Experience supporting or mentoring junior team members
• is desirable.Advanced PowerPoint and Excel ski

lls pref

perred.
Benefits
30 days Annual Leave +

8 Bank Holidays

Flexible hybrid working model, supporting a balance between office collaboration a

nd remote working

Private medical insurance, de

ntal and cash plan

Enhanced parental leave – Maternity/Adoption

and Paternity leave

Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme (statutory emp