Senior Research Consultant

Smith Hanley Associates; United States; Remote; USD 125,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Smith Hanley Associates is seeking a Senior Research Consultant to lead custom research engagements in the insurance and financial services sector. This client-facing role owns projects from proposal development through insight delivery, serving as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders.

You will manage life insurance projects, leverage both quantitative and qualitative methods, and guide teams to deliver strategic insights and executive-ready deliverables.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of market research on supplier/agency side.
• Demonstrated experience in insurance research is REQUIRED.
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Experience leading client relationships & multiple projects.
• Strong data analysis, storytelling & presentation skills.
• Experience presenting findings to senior stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Qualtrics, SPSS, DisplayR, Tableau, MarketSight, Excel & PowerPoint.
• AI-enabled tools in research workflows is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead custom quantitative and qualitative research projects from design through final presentation.
• Partner with clients to understand challenges and design research approaches.
• Design methodologies, instruments, fieldwork oversight, vendor management.
• Analyze data and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Develop reports, presentations and executive deliverables.
• Facilitate client meetings, presentations and strategic discussions.
• Contribute to business development through discovery and proposals.
• Collaborate with internal teams and partners for project execution.
• Coach colleagues on research best practices and survey design.

Skills

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Client relationships

Data storytelling

Presentation skills

AI tools in research

Research platforms (Qualtrics, SPSS,  

Tableau

Excel & PowerPoint

Tools

Qualtrics

SPSS

DisplayR

Tableau

MarketSight

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Location: Remote, United States OR on-site Hartford, CT

Compensation: $125-140,000

Are you a strategic researcher who enjoys partnering directly with clients to solve complex business challenges?

A growing non-profit research and advisory organization is seeking a Senior Research Consultant to lead custom research engagements focused on the insurance and financial services sector. This is a highly visible, client-facing role where you'll own projects from proposal development through insight delivery while serving as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders.

This role requires project experience of life insurance.

What You'll Do

• Lead custom quantitative and qualitative research projects from design through final presentation.
• Partner with clients to understand business challenges and develop research approaches that drive decision-making.
• Design research methodologies, develop instruments, oversee fieldwork, and manage vendor relationships.
• Analyze data and translate findings into clear, actionable business insights.
• Develop reports, presentations, and executive-level deliverables.
• Facilitate client meetings, presentations, and strategic discussions throughout the project lifecycle.
• Contribute to business development efforts through discovery conversations and proposal development.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to ensure successful project execution.
• Coach and support colleagues on research best practices, survey design, analysis, and insight development.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of market research experience on the supplier/agency side.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research within the insurance industry REQUIRED
• Expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Experience leading client relationships and managing multiple concurrent research projects.
• Strong data analysis, storytelling, and presentation skills.
• Experience presenting findings and recommendations to senior-level stakeholders.
• Proficiency with common research and analytics platforms such as Qualtrics, SPSS, DisplayR, Tableau, MarketSight, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience incorporating AI-enabled tools into research workflows is highly desirable.

What Success Looks Like

• You are naturally curious and enjoy uncovering the "why" behind business challenges.
• You can move comfortably between strategic client conversations and hands‑on research execution.
• You thrive in a collaborative environment while confidently managing projects independently.
• You enjoy translating complex data into clear recommendations that influence business decisions.
• You stay current on emerging research methodologies, technology, and AI-driven tools.
• This role requires project experience of life insurance.

If you're looking for a role that combines research excellence, client partnership, strategic consulting, and industry expertise, we'd love to hear from you.