Vice President, Panels

Ipsos in US; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading market research firm is seeking a VP of Panel Management to drive the strategy, operational excellence, and health of global quantitative panels. This role includes overseeing the lifecycle of panelists, managing panel budgets, and ensuring high data quality. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in market research operations, particularly with global panels, and is proficient in panel management software. This position offers a salary between $120,000 and $140,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in market research operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing large-scale global panels essential.
• Deep experience with panel management software and data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and operational excellence for global quantitative panels.
• Oversee recruitment, engagement, and retention of panelists.
• Establish quality assurance measures and compliance with data protection regulations.

Skills

Market research operations

Panel management software

Statistical sampling methods

Data visualization tools

Global panel management

Tools

Cint

Forsta/Confirmit

Qualtrics

Tableau

PowerBI

Job description

About Online Communities and Panels

The Communities and Panels team gives clients real-time access to their consumers via an engaging, social platform. Research activities include quantitative and qualitative studies, encouraging proactive, in-depth feedback through asking, listening, discussing, and co‑creating.

Role Purpose

The VP of Panel Management will lead the strategy, health, and operational excellence of our global quantitative proprietary panels. You will oversee the end‑to‑end lifecycle of panelists—from recruitment and engagement to retention and data quality—ensuring a gold‑standard respondent pool that supports complex, multi‑market research initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Global Leadership
  • Panel Roadmap: Influence and support the development of a 3‑year strategic roadmap for global panel expansion, focusing on high‑growth markets and niche B2B/Consumer segments.
  • Budget & P&L Ownership: Manage panel budgets, optimizing the balance between recruitment costs, incentive spend, and panel lifetime value.
  • Commercial Support: Act as a subject matter expert during the sales process, advising clients and internal teams on feasibility, sampling methodology, and panel capabilities for large‑scale bids.
• Operational & Executional Excellence
  • Sampling & Fielding: Optimize automated sampling protocols to ensure representative delivery while minimizing panel fatigue.
  • Process Standardization: Standardize operational workflows across regional teams to ensure consistent data quality and delivery speed.
• Quality Assurance & Compliance
  • Fraud Mitigation: Implement and evolve advanced fraud detection (digital fingerprinting, bot‑trap integration, and behavioral pattern analysis).
  • Data Privacy: Ensure 100% compliance with global data protection regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, and industry standards such as ESOMAR and CASRO.
  • Panel Health Metrics: Establish rigorous KPIs for panel "freshness," churn rates, and response accuracy.
• Engagement & Retention Strategy
  • Incentive Management: Design and manage localized incentive structures that drive high response rates while remaining cost‑effective.
  • Member Experience (UX): Improve the panelist journey through mobile‑first survey design, community features, and streamlined support systems.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years in market research operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing large‑scale global panels.
• Technical Proficiency: Deep experience with panel management software (e.g., Cint, Forsta/Confirmit, Qualtrics, or proprietary builds) and data visualization tools (Tableau, PowerBI).
• Global Fluency: Proven track record of managing panels across diverse international markets, understanding the nuances of recruitment in emerging versus mature regions.
• Quantitative Expertise: Strong grasp of statistical sampling methods, weighting, and data cleaning techniques.

In accordance with NY/CO/CA/WA law, the estimated base salary range for this role is $120,000 to $140,000. Your final base salary will be determined based on several non‑discriminatory factors which may include but are not limited to location, work experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications.

Commitment to Diversity

Ipsos recognizes the necessity of building an inclusive culture that values each employee’s individuality and diverse perspectives. We are committed to providing equal opportunity to all employees, creating an environment that promotes inclusion, and enabling employees from all walks of life to flourish. Ipsos is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other protected class and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

About Us

Ipsos is one of the world’s largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full‑service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data‑driven solutions and a presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject‑matter experts from around the world, delivering top‑quality research and insights. We serve more than 5000 clients worldwide.