Research Director

About the Role

This is a senior leadership role for someone who sets the standard for how research is designed, how clients are advised, and how the next generation of researchers is developed. You'll own the most complex, highest-value client relationships in the region, leading on methodology and commercials from first enquiry through to delivery, and acting as the go-to specialist your clients and colleagues come to when the answer isn't obvious.

We're looking for a Research Director who leads by example: someone who can rationalise decisions with the bigger picture in mind, hold a room of senior stakeholders, and build a solutions-focused culture around them. You'll be accountable not only for your own work but for the quality, development, and engagement of the team delivering alongside you — and genuinely curious about how AI and automation can make that team smarter, not just faster.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Account Growth

• •Own the region's most complex, high-value client relationships — acting as their main point of contact and trusted adviser, so that YouGov becomes their default, repeat choice.
• •Seek out cross-sell and upsell opportunities as part of a wider client strategy, introducing clients to the full YouGov suite (Data Services, Data Products, Sport, Custom) and advising honestly on when each is and isn't the right fit.
• •Demonstrate Brand Index and Profiles to clients and translate research insight into commercial growth in partnership with Account Management.
• •Lead on client enquiries, tenders and RFIs for complex projects — owning methodology, costs, and the commercial conversation end-to-end.
• •Consult with clients on complex, sensitive, or contentious topics, and guide junior colleagues on the most appropriate methodology.
• •Manage client expectations proactively and identify and implement long-term solutions to conflict internally (across departments, including CENX teams) and externally (clients and vendors).

Research Design, Methodology & Quality

• •Design questionnaires for clients of any complexity, including bespoke solutions to unique scenarios; brief and delegate first drafts to junior colleagues, and give and receive constructive feedback openly.
• •Coordinate and guide projects of any complexity, leading on both the research and commercial front, and breaking work down so simpler tasks develop the wider team.
• •Script surveys on CI/G4 during periods of capacity — including drawing on Scripting support where required — and delegate to junior colleagues for skills development.
• •Apply and communicate the principles of sample design, weighting, and significance testing with confidence, coaching colleagues through both basic and advanced statistical analysis.
• •Ensure the team continually raises the bar on quality control for questionnaires and reports, sharing best practice and suggesting improvements.
• •Bring an excellent understanding of ops functions to bear, supporting colleagues and driving process changes where efficiency gains are identified.
• •Keep research knowledge current as methodologies and technology evolve, and confidently guide colleagues on online research terminology and use cases.

Commercial Leadership & New Business

• •Write proposals from scratch for clients regardless of complexity, answer tenders and RFIs, review and guide junior colleagues' proposals, and act as sign-off for large-scale proposals.
• •Act as the specialist and go-to person for specific sectors or subject areas, bringing depth of industry knowledge to pitches and delivery.
• •Lead on pricing and methodology for new business enquiries, balancing client need, deliverability, and commercial return.

Storytelling & Client Presentations

• •Lead client presentations and meetings independently, adapting the story for the audience in the room — from analysts to C-suite.
• •Interpret insight and provide clear recommendations that address the client's underlying business need, not just the brief as written.
• •Use Crunch confidently — including analysis and dashboards — to walk clients through results, and articulate its capabilities across different use cases.
• •Coach junior colleagues on presentation and client-handling skills, giving them visible roles in client-facing work wherever possible.

AI-Enabled Ways of Working

• •Actively look for ways AI and automation can improve research design, data processing, analysis, and reporting — from scripting checks to first-pass dashboard build.
• •Champion new tools and techniques across the team's workflow, setting the example rather than waiting to be told, and stay current on AI developments relevant to market research.
• •Use AI thoughtfully and responsibly, always sense-checking outputs and applying professional judgement before anything reaches a client.

Team Leadership & People Development

• •Manage individual and team workloads flexibly so that all work is picked up and efficiently distributed day to day, including client and new business enquiries.
• •Mentor junior colleagues on research, technical, commercial, people, and HR matters, with regular catch-ups with direct reports to keep development on track — and the confidence to handle difficult conversations.
• •Lead the recruitment process and attend second-stage interviews across roles to assess candidate quality and team fit.
• •Lead on team and company initiatives — acting as a specialist or champion and delegating to build engagement and motivation across teams and departments.
• •Uphold and enforce the company's and The Research Society's professional and ethical standards in all interactions, leading a solutions-focused culture.
• •Contribute to an environment of openness to continuous learning and feedback, proactively sharing learning and leading training for junior colleagues.

What We're Looking For

Qualifications

• •Minimum 10-12 years' quantitative market research experience, including substantial client leadership and line management of research teams.
• •A track record of owning and growing high-value accounts and winning repeat business — you think commercially by instinct.
• •Proven ability to lead multiple complex projects and project teams simultaneously, to deadline and to budget.
• •Excellent attention to detail, with the judgement to rationalise decisions in light of their impact on the client, the business, and senior stakeholders.
• •Authoritative presenter and communicator, able to adapt style across audiences and situations, from working teams to C-suite.
• •Excellent understanding of questionnaire design, sample design, weighting, and significance testing, with the ability to coach others.
• •Confident scripting experience (CI/G4 or equivalent) and a sound working knowledge of ops functions.
• •Genuine curiosity about AI tools and how they improve research and reporting workflows, with the credibility to champion them across a team.
• •Confident across Microsoft Office 365 and its Google equivalents, plus data visualisation tools; Crunch experience strongly preferred.
• •Fluency in English required and Arabic preferred
• •Familiarity with regional (MENA) cultural nuances and a client-first mindset.

Preferred Skills

• •Advanced statistical analysis capability beyond standard significance testing and weighting.
• •Recognised sector or subject-matter specialism that clients seek out by name.
• •Experience owning proposal sign-off and pricing for large-scale or tendered work.
• •Experience using AI or automation tools in a research or analytics context (data processing, dashboard build, first-draft reporting).
• •Experience leading recruitment and building teams, not just managing them.

What Good Looks Like at This Level

At Research Director level, we expect someone who:

• •Leads by example on professionalism, ethics, and communication with all high-level internal and external stakeholders.
• •Takes accountability for projects and project teams at scale, including for the actions of more junior colleagues.
• •Own