Account Manager - Qualitative Research - Mumbai

Kantar; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,400,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Kantar is hiring a Qualitative Research Manager to turn human stories into actionable business insights in Mumbai. You will lead a team, design and execute qualitative studies across FMCG, tech, and retail to inform marketing strategies and brand development, blending traditional methods with AI-enabled analytics for deeper understanding.

The role requires 5–8 years of hands-on qualitative research, strong client servicing, and excellent communication to turn complex data into clear, commercial

Qualifications

• Postgraduate with 5–8 years in qualitative research.
• Experience moderating focus groups, in-depth interviews and ethnography.
• Experience on consumer/brand/channel & retail research (product testing, U&A, brand equity, comms).
• Experience with AI-enabled tools and dashboards is a plus.
• End-to-end project handling and client servicing.

Responsibilities

• Lead qualitative research projects and manage a team.
• Moderate focus groups and conduct in-depth interviews and ethnography.
• Apply online methodologies to gather insights.
• Translate findings into commercial guidance for brands.
• Collaborate with clients and stakeholders to shape strategies.

Skills

Postgraduate degree

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Moderating groups

In-depth interviews

Ethnography

Online methodologies

Consumer research

Product testing

Brand research

Channel research

Analytical skills

Client management

Education

Postgraduate degree

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Qual dashboarding tools

Job description

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in.

Job Details

Kantar is the world’s leading data, insights, and consulting company; we shape the brands of tomorrow by better understanding people everywhere.

Our Insights colleagues are the masters of using data to resolve challenges. They help brands define what they should stand for, how to reinvent and renew their offer, how to better reach audiences, and how to win with consumers and customers. By collecting substantial data from across the world, they blend human expertise with technology, making sure we can deliver innovative insights to brands everywhere.

Qualitative Unit Overview

Kantar Qualitative handles diverse adhoc research requirements of blue chip FMCG, e-Commerce / Tech, Durables, Telecom, Auto clients. As a researcher, you will constantly provide sophisticated solutions to our clients, applying the highest standards of innovative, qualitative market research tools.

As our new Qualitative Research Manager, you’ll play a key role in turning human stories into clear, commercial advice for leading brands. You’ll help us understand what’s happened, why, and how to shape the marketing strategies that drive the future. By combining modern qualitative methods with Kantar’s AI-enabled tools and validated frameworks, you’ll deliver insights that are both deeply human and technologically advanced. This is your opportunity to work at the cutting edge of research, blending traditional expertise with innovative digital approaches to help our clients succeed in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Capabilities Statement

The following personal skills are essential:

• To apply for this position, you must be a postgraduate with a total of 5 to 8 years of hands on experience in qualitative research and should have effective communication and interpersonal skills
• A demonstrable track-record in moderating focus groups, in-depth interviews and ethnography, and running online methodologies are essential
• You must have worked on consumer research / brand research / channel & retail research, specifically product testing, U&A, brand equity, communication developments.
• Research expertise in F&B, auto, and ecom would be a plus.
• Must have prior experience to handle qualitative research end-to-end. Must have prior client servicing experience throughout the project lifecycle.
• You should have strong analyticalskills, should be comfortable with disparate sets of information and should have the ability to draw accurate causal linkages.
• The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who is client focused and has experience of dealing directly with clients.
• Deep-interest in consumer behaviour and cultural influence, creative storytelling.
• Expertise in new-age solutions like AI, qual dashboarding tools etc. would be a plus.
• Since you will be required to lead a team, it is important that you have strong people and team management skills in order to motivate and train them to deliver high quality work with enthusiasm.

Why join Kantar?

We shape the brands of tomorrow by better understanding people everywhere. By understanding people, we can understand what drives their decisions, actions, and aspirations on a global scale. And by amplifying our in-depth expertise of human understanding alongside ground-breaking technology, we can help brands find concrete insights that will help them succeed in our fast-paced, ever shifting world.

And because we know people, we like to make sure our own people are being looked after as well. Equality of opportunity for everyone is our highest priority and we support our colleagues to work in a way that supports their health and wellbeing. While we encourage teams to spend part of their working week in the office, we understand no one size fits all; our approach is flexible to ensure everybody feels included, accepted, and that we can win together. We’re dedicated to creating an inclusive culture and value the diversity of our people, clients, suppliers and communities, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds and sections of society. Even if you feel like you’re not an exact match, we’d love to receive your application and talk to you about this job or others at Kantar.

Privacy and Legal Statement

PRIVACY DISCLOSURE: Please note that by applying to this opportunity you consent to the personal data you provide to us to be processed and retained by The Kantar Group Limited ("Kantar"). Your details will be kept on our Internal ATS (Applicant Tracking System) for as long as is necessary for the purposes of recruitment, which may include your details being shared with the hiring manager.

Location

Mumbai, The ORB BuildingIndia

Kantar Rewards Statement

At Kantar we have an integrated way of rewarding our people based around a simple, clear and consistent set of principles. Our approach helps to ensure we are market competitive and also to support a pay for performance culture, where your reward and career progression opportunities are linked to what you deliver.

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in.

We want to create an equality of opportunity in a fair and supportive working environment where people feel included, accepted and are allowed to flourish in a space where their mental health and well being is taken into consideration.

We want to create a more diverse community to expand our talent pool, be locally representative, drive diversity of thinking and better commercial outcomes.

Kantar is the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company. We understand more about how people think, feel, shop, share, vote and view than anyone else. Combining our expertise in human understanding with advanced technologies, Kantar’s 30,000 people help the world’s leading organisations succeed and grow.