M&C Saatchi World Services is seeking a Research and Analysis Lead to drive the development and application of high-quality audience and behavioural research within a federal and Department of Defense (DoD)-aligned mission environment. You will lead the design and execution of qualitative and quantitative research programmes, working closely with communications, digital, UX, and strategy teams to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.

This is a hybrid role; however, the ideal candidate will live in the greater District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. We are also open to applicants who can work from our NYC office.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

In this role, you will combine strategic research leadership with hands-on execution, shaping how WSUS understands audiences, informs decision-making, and strengthens programme impact. You will be responsible for building structure, rigour, and clarity across research initiatives, ensuring that insights are robust, evidence-based, and directly inform communications, engagement, and user experience strategies.

What you'll do:

• Lead development and execution of qualitative and quantitative research studies to understand user needs, motivations, behaviors, and preferences.

• Conduct in-depth audience analysis, segmentation, and behavioral research to inform strategic decision-making.

• Design research plans, study instruments, sampling strategies, and analysis frameworks.

• Perform interviews, focus groups, surveys, usability assessments, and ethnographic research.

• Analyze and synthesize research findings to identify insights, themes, pain points, and strategic opportunities.

• Present findings to leadership in clear, actionable formats including reports, executive summaries, journey maps, dashboards, and briefings.

• Support development of communication strategies, engagement campaigns, and UX enhancements using research-driven insights.

• Oversee data integrity, methodological rigor, and ethical research practices.

• Maintain research repositories, knowledge bases, and trend analysis dashboards.

• Advise communications, UX, product, and outreach teams on audience-centered solutions.

• Support ongoing measurement, impact assessment, and optimization of communication and engagement strategies.

You’ll bring:

• Minimum 10 years of experience conducting advanced qualitative and quantitative research.

• Experience designing and executing audience/user studies in federal, DoD, or enterprise environments.

• Demonstrated ability to derive clear insights from complex data and communicate them effectively.

• Experience supporting strategic planning or communications strategy with research-based recommendations.

• Strong understanding of research methodologies including interviews, surveys, focus groups, diary studies, and observational methods.

• Experience with statistical analysis, qualitative coding, and research synthesis.

• Familiarity with research tools such as Qualtrics, UserTesting, SPSS, R, NVivo, or similar platforms.

• Exceptional analytical and synthesis capabilities.

• Strong communication and presentation skills for leadership-level audiences.

• Ability to translate research into actionable strategy recommendations.

• Excellent planning, prioritization, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• High attention to detail and commitment to research rigor and ethical standards.

Bonus points if you have:

• Knowledge of behavioral science frameworks and audience modeling concepts.

• Experience integrating research with UX design, digital strategy, or enterprise communications.

• Experience developing personas, journey maps, and behavioral archetypes.

• UX research, insights analysis, or behavioral science certifications

• ITIL v4 Foundation

• Project management certifications

WHAT YOU GET

We offer a competitive salary ($140,000-$165,000) and a benefits package designed to support your health, family life, financial wellbeing, and growth.

Family & parental support

• 12 weeks’ full pay for Primary Carers and 6 weeks for Secondary Carers (after one year of service; return requirements apply for subsequent leave)

• Applies to birth, adoption, and surrogacy

• Up to 10 days’ paid fertility leave per year (5 per cycle)

• 2 days’ paid leave for new grandparents

• $2,500 annual interest-free parental loan

• $6,000 interest-free fertility treatment loan

Healthcare & wellbeing

• Three medical plans (HSA at $0 cost; EPO 75% employer funded; PPO 65% employer funded)

• $0 employee-cost dental and vision

• 10 days’ health leave per year (mental and physical)

• 24/7 mental health support through Self Space

• Wellhub subscription

Financial & practical support

• 401(k) match (3% after 3 months; 4% after 1 year)

• Pre-tax commuter benefits

• 10 days’ paid military leave

• Full pay for jury duty (state/city payments declined)

• Uber/taxi home after 9:30pm

Time off & flexibility

• 23 days’ PTO (with 3 discretionary carryover days; CA/CO policies follow state mandate)

• 10 federal holidays, plus the day after Thanksgiving

• Option to swap 2 federal holidays (excluding Thanksgiving and the day after)

• Office closed between Christmas and New Year

• 10 days’ special emergency leave (including bereavement)

• 10 days’ volunteering leave (5 paid, 5 unpaid)

• Half-day for blood donation

• Work from anywhere for up to 2 weeks per year (subject to approval)

Culture & development

• $300 annual cultural stimulation allowance (accrued monthly; available after 90 days)

• Weekly Thursday happy hour

• Mentorship and Buddy programmes

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 defense, 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 behavior change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defense 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.