Research Executive

Shapiro-Raj-2; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Shapiro+Raj is a leading insights and inspiration firm focused on life sciences, helping Fortune 500 clients grow brands in a changing landscape.

The Research Executive supports both qualitative and quantitative work, progressing toward larger project leadership while delivering clear, evidence-based findings for clients in healthcare and life sciences.

Qualifications

• Must think critically, synthesize evidence, and communicate clearly.
• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
• Comfort with ambiguity and handling deadlines.
• Ownership mindset with good judgment and coachability.
• Genuine interest in healthcare and life sciences.

Responsibilities

• Support all major phases of research: backgrounding, design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting.
• Draft screeners, discussion guides, and core project materials.
• Manage fieldwork details with increasing independence.
• Organize notes, observations, and early findings clearly.
• Contribute to debriefs, themes, and early storytelling.
• Communicate professionally with clients and internal partners.
• Collaborate with PMs, operations, analytics, moderators, and vendors.
• Use AI responsibly to strengthen work while ensuring accuracy.

Skills

Critical thinking

Written & verbal communication

Qual & quant exposure

Ability to learn

Ownership

Deadline-driven

Tools

Survey tools

Analytics software

Job description

Shapiro+Raj is the largest certified minority business enterprise insights and inspiration company in North America. Our mission is to help Fortune 500 clients find new and different ways to grow their brands in today's continually reshaping landscape.

Our life sciences work sits at the center of that, on the decisions that determine whether a therapy reaches the patients who need it. We combine deep therapeutic expertise, behavioral science, and advanced technology to connect the dots between what people think, feel, say, and do, delivering clarity at the speed this moment demands. Technical intelligence handles the volume. Human intelligence delivers the strategic heft.

Stella, our pharma-native AI agent, was built by our own insights consultants and is a working tool for our teams. We expect technology to amplify our thinking, not replace it.

The foundational execution role. This person builds fluency across the full project lifecycle and increasingly owns core components of design, fieldwork, analysis, and story development.

The Research Executive supports and increasingly owns core pieces of qualitative and quantitative custom research, contributing across project setup, materials development, fieldwork, analysis, and reporting. This is not an administrative support role. It is a growth role for someone who can think critically, synthesize evidence, communicate clearly, and build toward fuller project leadership.

Core responsibilities

• Support all major phases of research: backgrounding, design, fieldwork, analysis, and reporting.
• Draft screeners, discussion guides, and other core project materials with appropriate guidance.
• Manage fieldwork details with increasing independence, and escape issues early.
• Organize notes, observations, and early findings accurately and clearly.
• Contribute to debriefs, theme development, and early story building.
• Communicate professionally with clients and internal partners on project-specific matters.
• Work effectively with PMs, operations, analytics, moderators, and vendors.
• Use AI responsibly and transparently to strengthen work, while remaining accountable for accuracy, judgment, and final output.

How the role works here

A strong Executive learns the real operating system of the business, not only abstract research methods. They understand how qualitative and quantitative studies move through kickoff, materials, fieldwork, debrief, reporting, and close-out — and know how to contribute productively at each step.

What we are looking for

Must-haves

• Critical thinking and synthesis
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Qual and quant exposure, or strength in one and the ability to learn the other
• Comfort with ambiguity and deadlines
• Ownership, judgment, coachability
• Genuine interest in healthcare and life sciences

Helpful experience

• Healthcare, public health, life sciences, or clinical research exposure
• Survey tools, qual platforms, analytics software
• Responsible AI use on real research work