Position: Associate Director
Division: Financial Services
Location: Manchester or London

Overview:

At Harris Interactive we’re proud to have been nominated for the Market Research Society Financial Services Research Award for four of the last five years, winning in 2012. This has been achieved by being truly engaged in the sector and developing innovative solutions to the challenges our clients face today. By partnering closely with our clients, we help them make informed decisions resulting in positive business impact.

We are looking for an Associate Director to work within a fast-paced but rewarding environment. We work right across the sector including leading retail and investment banks, building societies, insurance companies and life and pensions companies.

Many of our projects have both quantitative and qualitative elements. Our work spans the full marketing spectrum, but we specialise in customer experience, brand and communications as well as product and service development.

Responsibilities:

The Associate Director has responsibility for developing and maintaining relationships with financial services clients through delivery of first class research within time and within budget, providing strong and effective leadership to a team of researchers dedicated to delivering comprehensive custom market research. The Associate Director takes ownership for all market research activity and relationships within their assigned accounts. Frequent interaction with internal and external stakeholders and a deep understanding of financial services market drivers and activity is a critical requirement to ensure the continuous improvement of research, relationships, revenue and retention for the company. Your extensive market research experience and knowledge will mean you are a role model and mentor to research managers and colleagues in all aspects of research projects. The Associate Director will support, coach and mentor researchers in the pursuit of research excellence by providing direction, guidance and sharing knowledge. The successful candidate is expected to create an environment of trust, teamwork and empowerment leading both team members and clients to feeling respected and valued.

Enduring and profitable client relationships ensure Harris Interactive successfully develops and grows, providing opportunities for all involved. Your knowledge and business acumen will ensure that profitable relationships with clients thrive and that Harris Interactive’s reputation for innovative full service agency research is enhanced.

The company is going through an exciting time and about to embark on an ambitious period of growth. This is a high profile senior role that reports to the Head of Financial Services. It offers the right person the opportunity to use their in-depth market research and financial services knowledge and skills to make a significant positive impact within the company.

Responsibilities

• Managing a number of project simultaneously – 80% of projects are primarily quantitative but a knowledge of qual research is also needed
• Designs complex, well-structured, error free questionnaires/topic guides, meeting info needs within specified length
• Executes research which incorporates advanced solutions to meet complex needs
• Conducts professional and authoritative presentations to clients at all levels
• Proactively involved in professional and authoritative meetings with clients at all levels
• Prepares recommendations for clients
• Manages complex projects to time and budget
• Supervises junior researchers
• Supports Business Development (attending meetings, identifying opportunities for growth, attending conferences, writing proposals)
• Briefing and liaising with a range of internal teams and external partners to ensure effective project implementation and delivery
• Ability to work with team members based in other locations/offices

Required Skills:

Being a team player and having a can-do attitude are essential characteristics for this role, as are:

• Degree level education
• Established expertise in this category
• Agency experience will be an advantage
• Proven ability to manage client negotiations/meetings
• Good understanding of advanced statistical techniques (segmentation, conjoint, etc.)
• Good MS Office skills (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Clear, accurate and confident verbal and written client communication
• Attention to detail
• Highly motivated
• An interest in consumer behaviour, brands and retail

To apply or find out more please email: JobsUK@harrisinteractive.co.uk