JOB DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH MANAGER
Reports to:Research Director
Job Statement:Research Managers are responsible for profitably developing MMR business with prospective and existing clients. They have prime responsibility for handling client projects through all stages from initial briefing to report writing and/or debrief presentation, ensuring that the research design and analysis and interpretation of results fulfils clients’ needs.
Key Responsibilities:
1.To meet any agreed objectives on commissioned revenues.
2.To take research briefs from existing and prospective clients, interpret the brief and clarify their needs.
3.To define, in consultation with a Project Consultant if necessary, appropriate research protocols which provide solutions to each client brief. These will draw from MMR’s repertoire of techniques and may combine both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
4.To write research proposals including costings as agreed with Senior Management, and sell them to clients.
5.To manage project teams within the research team and effectively delegate responsibility on all relevant aspects of the project, to ensure accurate, timely and cost effective execution of the research.
6.To design the questionnaire/ delegate responsibility for designing the questionnaires and ensure that they are approved by the client and internal departments.
7.To draw up schedules for all aspects of each project and ensure that they are issued and agreed by all relevant personnel, notifying people immediately of any changes.
8.To ensure that clients receive and understand their topline results whenever appropriate.
9.To analyse quantitative and diagnostic data providing considered reporting, interpretation and recommendations, in consultation with an Associate Director/ Director if necessary, prior to the debrief.
10.To report/ debrief the results to the client, together with a Project Consultant if required (depending on client expectations, etc.)
11.Actively develop additional or new business with prospective and existing clients.
12.To supervise & take responsibility for the work of all members of the project team.
13.To manage Research Executives, being responsible for their development & performance within the business.
14.To monitor actual performance against budgeted costs on all projects, taking any necessary remedial action.
15.To exercise cost controls to ensure that clients are fully invoiced promptly for all aspects of the research.
16.To follow the procedures as described in the ISO Manual, to maintain a high quality of client service at every stage of the research process.
17.To promote, at all times, a pleasant working environment for all staff and workers at MMR.
Research Manager - Skills Outline
In order to fully develop into the role, you must demonstrate competency in key behavioural and technical skills:
Behavioural
Self-Management - Handles several important client situations at the same time, skilfully juggling with priorities and resources to meet client expectations; manages client expectations in pressure situation.
Communication - Communicates thought provoking and sometimes complex concepts; stimulates and interests audience through own style of communication. Does this verbally and in writing via proposals, emails, debriefs etc.
Working with Others - Supports and advises others in the research team helping them to develop themselves for career growth.
Client Service – Develops additional or new business through building trust and respect with prospective and existing clients.
Innovation/Creativity - Looks for new and different ways of tackling challenges that arise on projects / within business / among team
Learning and Improving - Takes a lead role in coaching juniors in team and monitoring their development. Actively seeks out new learning experiences and puts onus on self to self-develop.
Technical
Project Design - Defines projects and writes proposals with minimum input from senior management where precedents exist; identifies appropriate MMR techniques when conceptualising projects.
Project Management - Negotiates with the client to achieve mutually agreeable solutions to project changes in terms of cost and time implications; manages several projects at one time, of a range of complexity and type.
Client Focus and Client Management - Develops additional or new business through building trust and respect with prospective and existing clients.
Analysis and Interpretation - Demonstrates insightful thinking and interpretation recognised by clients as adding lasting value; colleagues see this person as someone to be sought out for their analytical ability.
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