We are looking for a Research Manager within the Europe Insights team. As a Research Manager, you will play a key role in designing, delivering, and interpreting research that evaluates the performance and effectiveness of multimedia communications activity. Reporting to the Insights Director and line‑managed by a (Senior) Research Director or Associate Director, you will drive the analytical processes that turn complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Research Manager will oversee research projects from design through to reporting, including creating data‑collection tools, managing fieldwork partners, analysing data sets, and producing high‑quality written assessments. You will contribute to the development of Theories of Change and strategic frameworks, ensuring research findings meaningfully inform programme direction.

This role is ideal for someone with a strong analytical foundation, experience working across mixed‑methods projects, and an interest in communications evaluation, behavioural change, and international contexts including Central and Eastern Europe.

Key responsibilities are to:

• Analyse and triangulate qualitative and quantitative data to assess the performance and effectiveness of multimedia communications activity.

• Manipulate and interpret data sets rigorously to generate meaningful and actionable insights.

• Write clear, robust assessment reports and contribute research findings to other internal reporting outputs.

• Design data‑collection tools, including questionnaires, discussion guides, and instruments for pre‑testing, formative research, and evaluation.

• Liaise with external fieldwork partners, collaborating closely on research delivery and overseeing project management when fieldwork is outsourced.

• Contribute to strategy and Theory of Change development, ensuring research findings inform project design and strategic decisions.

• Informally manage colleagues contributing to written reports, providing guidance, structure, and quality assurance.

• Conduct desk‑based research to support wider insight generation.

• Carry out additional duties as required by the management of the Europe Insights team.

ABOUT YOU

What you bring (knowledge, expertise, experience, and skills):

Essential:

• Experience in research, monitoring, or evaluation, ideally across mixed‑methods projects.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, with confidence analysing data (SPSS, R, or Stata).

• Experience managing research projects from design through to reporting.

• Ability to assess the impact of multimedia and digital‑led communications.

• Clear, confident communicator able to present findings to technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Experience designing data‑collection tools, logframes, or assessment strategies.

• Strong work ethic with the ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

• Experience working in developing/fragile contexts, behavioural‑change evaluation, or digital research is an advantage.

• Interest or experience in Central and/or Eastern Europe; regional language skills (e.g., Russian, Georgian, Serbo‑Croat, Romanian) are a bonus.

WHAT YOU GET

A competitive salary and benefits package that includes 27 days holiday per year, pension contributions, private healthcare, discounted dental insurance, enhanced maternity/parental leave, plus a whole host of others including:

• Cultural stimulation allowance - £250 per person per year

• Half days off before bank holidays

• Emergency care days for dependants

• Up to 5 days volunteering leave per year to work for a registered charity

• Up to 10 days special emergency leave per year

• Season Ticket loan

• Payroll Giving Scheme

• Thursday drinks to unwind and socialize

• An annual Summer and Christmas party

• Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion sees us offer inclusive bank holidays

We also offer learning opportunities around D&I, targeted mentoring programmes and the opportunity to participate in several active Employee Led Networks and associated events. Finally, this role will be supported with all the necessary personal development required to set someone up for success.

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

M+C Saatchi World Services is a specialist division of M+C Saatchi Group, the world’s largest independent communications network. Our specialists work in office hubs across six continents, grounding our global expertise in local nuance.

We offer award-winning commercial communications capabilities, which are utilized by global organizations to address the world’s most complex problems across defence, development, diplomacy, homeland and national security, law and order, health, education, and the environment.

We work with clients that want to help the hardest-to-reach, hardest-to-influence audiences. This includes a range of Western Government departments, such as DOS and USAID; partner governments, including the U.K. and Australia; and prominent IGOs/NGOs such as the U.N.

We are a comms agency that works on behaviour change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defence and Stabilization. Whether it’s producing critically acclaimed feature films in Africa, to TV shows in the Middle East, to pop music videos in Asia, we have a record of leveraging creativity to access communities anywhere in the world.

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