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About the Role

This senior leadership role involves setting the standard for research design, client advisory, and researcher development. You will manage complex, high-value client relationships, lead on methodology and commercials, and serve as a subject matter expert. The role requires leading by example, rationalizing decisions with a big-picture perspective, managing senior stakeholders, and fostering a solutions-focused culture. Accountability extends to team quality, development, and engagement, with a focus on leveraging AI and automation to enhance team efficiency and intelligence.

Responsibilities

Own the region's most complex, high-value client relationships, acting as their main point of contact and trusted advisor.
Seek out cross-sell and upsell opportunities, introducing clients to the full YouGov suite and advising on suitability.
Demonstrate Brand Index and Profiles to clients and translate research insight into commercial growth.
Lead on client enquiries, tenders, and RFIs for complex projects, owning methodology, costs, and the commercial conversation.
Consult with clients on complex, sensitive, or contentious topics, and guide junior colleagues on methodology.
Manage client expectations proactively and implement long-term solutions to internal and external conflicts.
Design questionnaires for clients of any complexity, including bespoke solutions.
Brief and delegate questionnaire design to junior colleagues, providing constructive feedback.
Coordinate and guide projects of any complexity, leading on research and commercial aspects.
Break down work to develop the wider team through simpler tasks.
Script surveys on CI/G4 during periods of capacity, delegating to junior colleagues for skills development.
Apply and communicate principles of sample design, weighting, and significance testing with confidence.
Coach colleagues through basic and advanced statistical analysis.
Ensure the team continually raises the bar on quality control for questionnaires and reports.
Share best practice and suggest improvements for quality control.
Bring an excellent understanding of ops functions to bear, supporting colleagues and driving process changes.
Keep research knowledge current as methodologies and technology evolve.
Confidently guide colleagues on online research terminology and use cases.
Write proposals from scratch for clients regardless of complexity.
Answer tenders and RFIs, review and guide junior colleagues' proposals.
Act as sign-off for large-scale proposals.
Act as the specialist and go-to person for specific sectors or subject areas.
Lead on pricing and methodology for new business enquiries.
Lead client presentations and meetings independently, adapting the story for the audience.
Interpret insight and provide clear recommendations that address the client's underlying business need.
Use Crunch confidently for analysis and dashboards to walk clients through results.
Articulate Crunch's capabilities across different use cases.
Coach junior colleagues on presentation and client-handling skills.
Give junior colleagues visible roles in client-facing work.
Actively look for ways AI and automation can improve research design, data processing, analysis, and reporting.
Champion new tools and techniques across the team's workflow.
Stay current on AI developments relevant to market research.
Use AI thoughtfully and responsibly, sense-checking outputs and applying professional judgement.
Manage individual and team workloads flexibly.
Mentor junior colleagues on research, technical, commercial, people, and HR matters.
Conduct regular catch-ups with direct reports to keep development on track.
Handle difficult conversations with confidence.
Lead the recruitment process and attend second-stage interviews.
Lead on team and company initiatives, acting as a specialist or champion.
Delegate to build engagement and motivation across teams and departments.
Uphold and enforce the company's and The Research Society's professional and ethical standards.
Lead a solutions-focused culture.
Contribute to an environment of continuous learning and feedback.
Proactively share learning and lead training for junior colleagues.

Requirements

Minimum 10-12 years' quantitative market research experience.
Substantial client leadership and line management of research teams.
A track record of owning and growing high-value accounts and winning repeat business.
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.
Authoritative presenter and communicator, able to adapt style across audiences and situations.
Excellent understanding of questionnaire design, sample design, weighting, and significance testing.
Ability to coach others in research principles.
Confident scripting experience (CI/G4 or equivalent).
Sound working knowledge of ops functions.
Genuine curiosity about AI tools and how they improve research and reporting workflows.
Credibility to champion AI tools across a team.
Confident across Microsoft Office 365 and its Google equivalents.
Proficient with data visualisation tools.
Familiarity with regional (MENA) cultural nuances.
Client-first mindset.

Skills

Quantitative market research
Client leadership
Line management
Account growth
Project management
Presentation
Communication
Questionnaire design
Sample design
Weighting
Significance testing
Statistical analysis
Scripting (CI/G4 or equivalent)
Operations functions
AI tools
Microsoft Office 365
Google equivalents
Data visualisation
Arabic (preferred)
Advanced statistical analysis
Sector or subject-matter specialism
Proposal writing
Pricing
AI or automation tools in research/analytics
Team building
Conflict resolution

Location

Region unspecified

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

Senior leadership
Research Director

Benefits

Best-in-class benefits to support physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.
Sense of belonging and uniqueness in a supportive workplace.

About the Company

YouGov is a global team working to make millions of people’s opinions heard for the benefit of local, national, and international communities.
The company values diversity of opinion and background, recognizing that a diverse workforce brings valuable perspectives.
YouGov's core values are: fast, fearless, innovative, diligent, accurate, ethical, guided by proven methodologies, respectful, and trusting.
The company strives to provide employees with best-in-class benefits for their wellbeing.
YouGov aims to create a workplace where employees feel a sense of belonging and uniqueness.

Equal Opportunity

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, HIV status, political affiliation, socioeconomic background, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law or in line with our responsibilities as a fair and ethic employer.
All employment decisions are made based on occupational qualifications, merit, and business need.