204 Research Director jobs in the United Kingdom

Location(s): London, Amsterdam, or Madrid (with flexibility)

Reports to: VP, Data & Analytics

Visa Sponsorship: Location dependant

A high-growth, customer-facing digital business is redefining its industry through data-driven innovation, modern design practices, and world-class customer experience. As part of this transformation, Good Maven are supporting to hire a Research Director to build and lead a new, high-impact Product and Market Research function.

This is a unique opportunity to join a tech-forward environment and build a best-in-class research capability from the ground up. You’ll transform a nascent function into a strategic partner across Product, Design, Marketing, and Data, influencing product direction, marketing strategy, and customer experience.

We’re looking for a hands-on, resilient research leader who can move between strategy, execution, and team-building, and who thrives in complex, fast-paced, and high-stakes environments.

What you’ll do

• Define and lead the vision, strategy, and roadmap for a modern, combined Product & Market Research function.
• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of researchers focused on customer insight and impact.
• Deliver actionable insights through qualitative and quantitative research that shape product and marketing decisions.
• Partner with Product, Design, Data, Engineering, and Marketing to embed the customer voice into strategy and execution.
• Overhaul and elevate a legacy team through hiring, mentorship, and organisational change.
• Establish scalable frameworks, processes, and tools to maximise research effectiveness and influence.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, influencing decisions with evidence-based insight.

What we’re looking for

• A proven research leader with experience building impactful teams in product-led, customer-centric environments.
• Strong expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods, with an ability to influence strategy and execution.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to prioritise, inspire change, and align stakeholders across functions.
• Experience partnering closely with Product, Marketing, and Design teams to deliver customer-centric outcomes.
• Resilient and resourceful: able to navigate legacy systems and inspire transformation.
• Demonstrated success managing managers and/or senior ICs within high-performing teams.
• Skilled in storytelling, data synthesis, and presenting clear, compelling insights to senior leadership.

What will help you succeed

• 10+ years of experience in Research (with exposure to both Product/UX and Market/Marketing Research).
• 5+ years in leadership roles, including management of multi-level teams.
• Experience in regulated, customer-facing industries such as e-commerce, fintech, digital media, entertainment, or gaming.
• Experience in scale-up, transformation, or high-growth environments.
• Track record of hiring, developing, and retaining strong research talent.

Why this opportunity?

• Define and lead a globally impactful function at a pivotal growth stage.
• Shape the future of customer insight, personalisation, and product strategy in a complex, highly regulated industry.
• Collaborate with senior leaders across Product, Design, Engineering, Data, and Marketing.
• Enjoy the autonomy, ownership, and strategic influence of a leadership role in a well-resourced, tech-focused organisation.

If you're excited by the opportunity to build something new, influence at scale, and redefine how research shapes product and customer experience, we’d love to hear from you.

Research Director – Quantitative Research

Location: Hybrid – Central London office & remote

Type: Full-time

Level: Research Director

£70,000–£90,000 + bonus (DOE)

We’re looking for a commercially minded and hands-on Quantitative Research Director to join a fast-growing independent insights agency with a strong track record across brand, comms, and customer strategy.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior researcher who enjoys leading client relationships, designing tailored solutions, and delivering impactful, high-quality work. You’ll join a collaborative, ambitious team working with high-profile brands across sectors such as consumer, retail, media, and tech.

The role is ideal for someone who thrives in a flexible, people-first environment — where your input is valued, and your career development is actively supported.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and growing key client accounts, acting as a trusted advisor
• Designing custom research approaches to solve a broad range of strategic challenges
• Taking ownership of project delivery — from design and analysis through to insight storytelling and debriefs
• Championing quality at every stage of the research process
• Mentoring and developing junior team members
• Supporting business growth by identifying opportunities and writing winning proposals

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years’ experience in quantitative research (ideally within an agency or consultancy)
• Strong track record in managing and growing client relationships
• Comfortable with a range of quant methodologies (e.g. segmentation, tracking, conjoint, pricing)
• Excellent analytical, storytelling, and presentation skills
• Highly organised and commercially astute
• Supportive leadership style and team mindset

Why Join This Team?

• Career development – tailored progression plans and support to grow beyond the Director level

Research Director (Brand)

Market Research, Insight Consultancy

Southwark, Hybrid Flexibility

£70,000 Base + Gold standard benefits

The Company:

Harnham have exclusively partnered with a leading data, insights and consulting company. The organization expertise covers brand, innovation, creative, media, commerce and customer experience, they help clients define what brands should stand for, how to disrupt and renew their offer, how to connect with audiences and how to win with consumers.

The Role:

As a Research Director, Brand you will be responsible for the following;

• Developing collaborative, strategic partnerships with clients and driving the strategy of some of the world’s leading brands
• Leading ongoing brand equity programmes, communications development and increasingly, groundbreaking research techniques, such as neuroscience, media & digital, social media and brand analytics
• Proactively building a wide and exciting network across the organization, in order to provide holistic answers to our clients’ business questions
• Ensuring overall client happiness and revenue growth
• Inspiring the team and giving direction to your account team/s
• Ensuring penetration across product/service portfolio with cross/up-sell including innovations

Skills and Experience:

• Experience working with global clients within fast-moving sector/s
• Brand tracking and brand communications experience
• Experience having worked in either research agency, client side or agency planning environments using quantitative datasets
• Experience managing and inspiring teams in a previous role/s or ready to take the step up
• Passionate about growing and developing your team, by being an inspiring leader and managing junior members

The benefits:

As a Research Director (Brand) you can earn up to a base of £70,000 + plus an aggressive benefits package

How to apply:

Please register your interest by sending your Resume to or via the Apply link on this page

Research Director (B2B) | Global Research & Analytics Company | £70k-£100k DOE | Mostly Remote

We’re working on an exciting opportunity with a global research and analytics firm; they are hiring for a Research Director (B2B) to join their global team.

The Company

Operating internationally and with over 400 employees, this company provides research and insight services that help businesses make better decisions through data. They specialise in market intelligence, competitor analysis, and sector-specific research across industries such as finance, private equity, Tech, FMCG, and healthcare.

The Role

This high-impact role combines strategic client advisory, advanced quantitative research, and team leadership across multiple sectors. If you’re driven by data, insight, and commercial outcomes – and want to shape strategies that matter – this is your chance to step into a pivotal leadership position with global reach.

The Candidate

Key attributes of the successful Research Director include:

• Experience working end-to-end on B2B research projects
• Deep expertise in quantitative research methods
• Strong commercial mindset with a history of hitting revenue targets
• Proven leadership within a market research setting, with experience working across multiple sectors

Research Director (B2B) | Global Research & Analytics Company | £70k-£100k DOE | Mostly Remote

We’re working on an exciting opportunity with a global research and analytics firm; they are hiring for a Research Director (B2B) to join their global team.

The Company

Operating internationally and with over 400 employees, this company provides research and insight services that help businesses make better decisions through data. They specialise in market intelligence, competitor analysis, and sector-specific research across industries such as finance, private equity, Tech, FMCG, and healthcare.

The Role

This high-impact role combines strategic client advisory, advanced quantitative research, and team leadership across multiple sectors. If you’re driven by data, insight, and commercial outcomes – and want to shape strategies that matter – this is your chance to step into a pivotal leadership position with global reach.

The Candidate

Key attributes of the successful Research Director include:

• Experience working end-to-end on B2B research projects
• Deep expertise in quantitative research methods
• Strong commercial mindset with a history of hitting revenue targets
• Proven leadership within a market research setting, with experience working across multiple sectors

Research Director (Brand)

Market Research, Insight Consultancy

Southwark, Hybrid Flexibility

£70,000 Base + Gold standard benefits

The Company:

Harnham have exclusively partnered with a leading data, insights and consulting company. The organization expertise covers brand, innovation, creative, media, commerce and customer experience, they help clients define what brands should stand for, how to disrupt and renew their offer, how to connect with audiences and how to win with consumers.

The Role:

As a Research Director, Brand you will be responsible for the following;

• Developing collaborative, strategic partnerships with clients and driving the strategy of some of the world’s leading brands
• Leading ongoing brand equity programmes, communications development and increasingly, groundbreaking research techniques, such as neuroscience, media & digital, social media and brand analytics
• Proactively building a wide and exciting network across the organization, in order to provide holistic answers to our clients’ business questions
• Ensuring overall client happiness and revenue growth
• Inspiring the team and giving direction to your account team/s
• Ensuring penetration across product/service portfolio with cross/up-sell including innovations

Skills and Experience:

• Experience working with global clients within fast-moving sector/s
• Brand tracking and brand communications experience
• Experience having worked in either research agency, client side or agency planning environments using quantitative datasets
• Experience managing and inspiring teams in a previous role/s or ready to take the step up
• Passionate about growing and developing your team, by being an inspiring leader and managing junior members

The benefits:

As a Research Director (Brand) you can earn up to a base of £70,000 + plus an aggressive benefits package

How to apply:

Please register your interest by sending your Resume to or via the Apply link on this page

Research Director – Quantitative Research

Location: Hybrid – Central London office & remote

Type: Full-time

Level: Research Director

£70,000–£90,000 + bonus (DOE)

We’re looking for a commercially minded and hands-on Quantitative Research Director to join a fast-growing independent insights agency with a strong track record across brand, comms, and customer strategy.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior researcher who enjoys leading client relationships, designing tailored solutions, and delivering impactful, high-quality work. You’ll join a collaborative, ambitious team working with high-profile brands across sectors such as consumer, retail, media, and tech.

The role is ideal for someone who thrives in a flexible, people-first environment — where your input is valued, and your career development is actively supported.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and growing key client accounts, acting as a trusted advisor
• Designing custom research approaches to solve a broad range of strategic challenges
• Taking ownership of project delivery — from design and analysis through to insight storytelling and debriefs
• Championing quality at every stage of the research process
• Mentoring and developing junior team members
• Supporting business growth by identifying opportunities and writing winning proposals

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years’ experience in quantitative research (ideally within an agency or consultancy)
• Strong track record in managing and growing client relationships
• Comfortable with a range of quant methodologies (e.g. segmentation, tracking, conjoint, pricing)
• Excellent analytical, storytelling, and presentation skills
• Highly organised and commercially astute
• Supportive leadership style and team mindset

Why Join This Team?

• Career development – tailored progression plans and support to grow beyond the Director level

Global Tracking Director (SAD/D) - Quantitative Insight - Brand & Comms

£60 – 75,000 + Bens

London (2 days a week in super offices in a buzzy part of London)

Our client is famous in ad land for being full of creative thinkers and being tuned in to the ideas and the specific objectives of the ad campaigns that they track and measure. They are a team of unconventional thinkers, on a mission to decode how marketing influences the relationship between people, brands and what opportunity that presents. They synthesise research findings through a strategic lens to reveal those all-important nuggets of insights and human truths that can inform and sharpen the best communication pieces.

They partner with clients to shape brand strategy and optimise brand and campaign performance. Their award-winning approach amplifies insights across every business area, propelling marketing decision-making to create an unmatched competitive advantage.

They are currently looking for a quant research director (SAD/D) to lead and develop a team to deliver fresh insight that gets to the heart of client questions, shaping their brand strategy and marketing action.

You will bring deep expertise in Quantitative research and global tracking. You should have a passion for leveraging data to deliver fresh insight that informs superior decision making for leading brands that helps them win. You’ll manage and coach a small team on a portfolio of accounts that range in size and complexity, leading client relationships and ensuring that you deliver quality, uncommon insights, and strategy. You excel at all stages of the insights process, from writing winning proposals to insight storytelling, you like to delight your clients and contribute to business growth. You should be comfortable with team leadership and client development. Great storytelling skills are a bit of a “must have” in what is essentially a communication business.

You will also need to have some drive to grow your accounts over time and win the trust and buy in from your team both from above and from those in your squad.

The culture is grown up and engaged. People with opinions are respected and people who have a point of view and aren’t afraid to share their thinking thrive here.

Team ethics and respect are very important here too. Things happen quickly and the work can be demanding during deadline periods, so a can-do attitude and an open mind fits with the existing mood of the place. Lots of bright people and experts to brainstorm with and a talented leadership team get to know in this long-standing research brand.

Our client is a premier market research company. They specialise in the Rare Diseases and late-stage Oncology space.

Due to continued investment, strategy and growth, they are seeking a Research Director with an interest in innovating AI processes for the company!

The main purpose of our client is to supply valuable market insights via Surgeons, which is then supplied back to the Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology space!

An excellent opportunity to work on a mix of UK and global projects!

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

· You will be managing international, multi-market end client projects including some business development activities.

· Be comfortable with modern data visualisation and analytics tools, with experience in one or more of the following:

§ Displayr, Tableau, SPSS, or Excel-based statistical analysis

· Bringing AI Innovation in quantitative research to the company, whether in survey sets, survey responses, data collection, analysis or insight generation.

· Digging deeper into data trends and drivers

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

· 6+ years’ experience in a quantitative research-focused role, ideally within a healthcare market research agency setting

· Strong technical grounding in survey design and advanced quant techniques, including:

· Message recall and ATU tracking

· Demand estimation

· Concept/message testing

· Conjoint and MaxDiff analysis

· Segmentation and TPP testing

· A commercial mindset with a track record of growing business from existing clients

· Strong communication and storytelling skills – able to present complex data in a clear, compelling way

· Able to work independently while collaborating closely with internal teams and clients

High desirable: Passionate about AI innovation and practical application experience within a healthcare market research company.