Senior Research Executive/Research Manager - Qualitative

The Sound; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus pool

Pension scheme

Private Medical Cover

23 days annual holiday

Flexible WFH/WFO

WeWork space

Training sessions

Sponsorship of Marketing Week Mini-MBA

Job summary

The Sound is seeking two qualitative researchers in London with 3+ years of market research and strategic qualitative experience to own small to mid-sized projects from start to finish, with senior support.

Based in London with a flexible hybrid WFH/WFO policy and occasional WeWork sessions, you will design screeners and guides, moderate across methods, and craft human-centered stories that drive client outcomes.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of market research and strategic qualitative experience across a range of objectives including brand strategy, innovation, and multi-market projects.
• Expertise in cultural exploration, brand strategy, positioning development, and turning insights into actionable stories.
• Strong writing skills and ability to develop client relationships; agency or client-side experience acceptable.
• Open to different backgrounds; collaboration with Directors/VPs and cross-functional teams is essential.

Responsibilities

• Taking ownership of small to mid-sized qualitative research projects from start to finish.
• Independently manage projects, oversee daily client interactions, and deliver results with senior support.
• Design impactful screeners and discussion guides, conduct moderation across various methods, and craft human-centered narratives that meet client objectives.
• Set expectations and coordinate internal teams, working with Directors/VPs, Managers, and Project Management.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships and contribute to business development.

Skills

Qualitative research

Client relationship management

Project management

Tools

AI moderation

AI in research

Job description

At a glance

Who: Two qualitative researchers with at least 3 years of custom research experience across a range of project objectives

What: Manage small to mid-sized qualitative research projects from start to finish with senior support and support on larger scale or global projects

When: Hiring immediately to support business expansion

Where: Based in London/UK (Flexible WFH/WFO policy; WeWork in Waterloo 1-2x a week)

Office Environment: Collaborative, entrepreneurial, and people focused

Salary: £36,000 - £48,000

What we’re looking for

We are looking for a candidate with at least 3 years of market research and strategic qualitative experience, with expertise in cultural exploration, brand strategy, innovation, brand positioning, and leading multi-market projects. The ideal candidate possesses a passion for turning insights into actionable stories, supporting proposals, strong writing skills, and a dedication to developing client relationships. We’re open to different backgrounds; agency and client-side.

If you’re passionate about deeply understanding people in service of helping brands thrive and grow, you’re in the right place!

What you’ll be doing

• Taking ownership of small to mid-sized qualitative research projects from start to finish.
• Independently manage projects, oversee daily client interactions, and assume accountability for project delivery with senior support.
• Thinking strategically and creatively at every stage -- including designing impactful screeners and guides, delivering moderation across a range of methodologies, and crafting human-centered stories that deliver against client objectives and outcomes.
• Managing and setting expectations and goals for internal project teams while holding them accountable for success, including collaboration with Directors/VPs as well as Managers and the Project Management team.
• Building strong client relationships, both on projects and from a business development perspective.

What you’ll need

• At least 3-5 years of "boots on the ground" qualitative research practitioner experience at a research consultancy and/or as a strategist in an agency working with corporate clients.
• Strong proficiency in managing and implementing a variety of qualitative research methods, such as online and in-person discussions, digital diaries, in‑home ethnographies and shop-alongs.
• Experience conducting qualitative research across a range of objectives such as segment illumination, category understanding, brand strategy and positioning development, creative development.
• Sharp strategic skills and a keen understanding of how insights from research can be used to impact clients’ business outcomes.
• Excellent writing skills are an absolute must as compelling and impactful storytelling is essential to the work we do. It’s not enough to be able to “speak” a compelling story, you must know how to express your brilliant thinking in writing, too.
• Ideally, experience identifying the 4Cs (Consumer, Company, Category, Culture) in service of developing dig sites to drive innovation workshops.
• Experience with desk research and data re‑mining.
• Exposure to AI for information gathering as well as qualitative research methods that leverage AI (e.g. AI moderation).
• Relevant formal education that’s provided the foundational knowledge and structured systems necessary for the critical thinking and problem‑solving skills essential to this role.

Who this role is for

Curious, Collaborative and Courageous people who:

• Have a passion for developing innovative solutions to solve complex business challenges.
• Think ‘we’, not ‘me’ - Thrive in fast‑paced, strategic collaboration with clients and colleagues.
• Self‑motivated and can drive project success despite ambiguity.
• Forever question the status quo – uncover truths to surface new ideas, mental models, ways of working, etc.

Working at The Sound

These roles come with a competitive salary of £36,000 - £48,000 , with a clear path to promotion and excellent training opportunities. A variety of factors such as the candidate's individual skills and experience relative to the requirements of the role will determine the exact offer.

Benefits include:

• Bonus pool
• Pension scheme
• Private Medical Cover with AXA Health
• Generous gender-neutral parental leave policy
• 23 days annual holiday with 5 days dedicated to Christmas and New Year
• 10 days annual sick/wellness/safe allotment
• Annual company‑wide get‑together offsite for 3 days
• Flexible WFH/WFO policy (WeWork space meeting at least two times a week)
• Meeting‑free Fridays running all year
• Summer Fridays; half days through the summer
• A 20-day paid sabbatical after five years
• Training sessions and guest client speakers
• Sponsorship of the Marketing Week Mini-MBA

Who we are

The Sound is a Global Exploration, Strategy and Innovation consulting agency dedicated to engaging brands with people. Understanding people is at the heart of everything we do. We have offices in cities around the world, like London, Chicago and Vancouver.

We are lucky enough to work on amazing and diverse briefs, the type that can define your career. The types of briefs that stretch you, push your thinking, develop your creativity and when it all comes together, see your work drive real business results.

Our clients are simply the best. We work with many of the best‑known and most‑loved brands; big and small. We’re valued as real partners and collaborators in their growth journeys and are given some of their toughest challenges to crack together. We’re lucky enough to have clients who are as nice, fun and interesting to work with as we are.

Because the team you will be working with are an awesome collection of brilliant minds and wonderful spirits. (The hyperbole here is warranted). No two people on our team are the same; we delight in the diversity of personalities, perspectives, experience, and expertise across the team. It is why magic happens here at The Sound.

Behind the scenes

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: The Sound values EDI and is a proud Equal Opportunities Employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the rich spectrum of perspectives, lived experiences, and abilities of the society we live in. We recognise that our differences make us stronger, and we actively seek out talent across all backgrounds through partnerships with diverse organisations, networks, and community groups. We champion belonging and inclusion across all identities—including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, disability, neurodiversity, sex, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, and socio-economic background—striving to create a culture where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic self to work. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let our hiring team know so we can support you.

AI Use

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Data Privacy Notice

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that BambooHR will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.