Part of M&C Saatchi, this specialist division partners with governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector, to work on the critical issues of our time, including, conflict prevention and sustainable development. We provide a fully integrated, end to end service, combining multi-disciplinary communications teams with subject matter experts, across the world. Our work is domestic and global, often affecting the most vulnerable in society, with international activity orientated towards conflict affected or developing countries.

The Senior Research Director will be confident leading the Research & Insights Department, managing & overseeing a team across two offices. This will involve overseeing the design of assessment frameworks to ensure both the effectiveness of the messaging is assessed, as well as the assessment of the strategy/Theory of Change itself.

The Senior Research Director will oversee report writing for internal audiences as well as clients. The position requires relationship management with research partners who perform the primary research on behalf of the organisation. The position will also require representing the research team internally, with especial regard to working with the accounts, strategy and production teams.

You’ll join a lovely bunch of passionate communications professionals, creative thinkers, media analysts and problem solvers in developing audience focused solutions, to complex communications challenges

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Work:

• Lead the Research and Monitoring teams, ensuring the coordination and development of all research personnel
  • This includes organising and leading regular team meetings, with a view to ensuring team capacity is sufficient; solving problems for the team; upskilling and mentoring the staff in the team; and generally ensuring the capacity development of the entire team on a continual basis
• Oversee the design and implementation of formative research and evaluation strategies for communications campaigns
• Lead on regional research reporting, ensuring high quality content and accuracy, as well as consistency across projects. The SRD will coordinate all inputs from accounts teams, research analysts and digital/social insight managers, as well as from third party vendors, to produce coherent and dispassionate reports
• Own client and research partner relationships and maintain excellent working relationships with them
• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation and optimisation. This includes looking for alternative suppliers and research partners that offer better value for money than existing suppliers, or that are able to implement new methodologies that have not previously been attempted
• Champion ethical research practice and ensure everyone in their team is aware of best practice
• Identify skills gaps and propose solutions to address those gaps, including designing and delivering training programmes to more junior members of the team.

The Agency:

• Understanding of the company’s culture and business area
• Sense of responsibility to towards the organisation’s reputation

Relationships:

• Direct line management of the Monitoring Lead and the Research Lead, and management of the regional Insights team
• Relationship management with clients and research partners
• Maintain close relationship with the Insights Director based in London
• Represent the research team internally and externally.

Business Impact:

Help identify opportunities for optimisation and growth.

ABOUT YOU

Essential

• Minimum of 10 years relevant research, monitoring and evaluation experience
• Experience evaluating the impact/effectiveness of multimedia communications activity
• Understanding of best practice for conducting research across Asian markets
• A firm interest and understanding of geo-politics and International Relations
• Experience designing logical frameworks (logframes) and assessment strategies
• Experience designing and managing both quantitative and qualitative research studies from design to report writing
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analysis skills (with experience using Q, SPSS, R or Stata)
• Experience with digital and innovative research methods
• Strong report writing and data visualisations skills
• Leadership capability and strong communication skills, including developing positive relationships with clients
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Proficient in all components of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel)

Desirable

• Experience with evaluating behavioural change
• Knowledge of Strategic Communications
• Experience using data visualization software such as tableau.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

For the right candidate, we will offer a competitive salary and benefits package along with all the necessary personal development required to set someone up for success.

We also know how to have a good time with regular social outings, birthday leave and other staff benefits in place.

ABOUT M&C SAATCHI GROUP

M&C Saatchi Group is a creative company that connects specialist expertise, fuelled by data, technology, and culture, to help clients navigate, create, and lead meaningful change. The Group operates across five core divisions: Connected Creativity; Passion Marketing; Global & Social Issues; Brand, Experience & Innovation; and Performance Media. Headquartered in London, operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Australia. M&C Saatchi Group’s two principles, Diversity of Thought and Brutal Simplicity of Thought, guide how they build teams and solve problems.

M&C Saatchi Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not discriminate, celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on talent and capability, without regard for any personal characteristics.

All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 5 DECEMBER 2024.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES.

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