Research Director - Transport and Environment

Transport research is a rapidly growing business area for this highly respected

household-name agency. They provide robust evidence and strategic insights to

policy makers, government bodies and agencies, transport operators and

not-for-profit organisations. This includes clients in the road and rail

sectors, aviation and active travel. Their work also spans key cross-cutting

areas that are integral to the way our transport and infrastructure system

operates and is used including environmental sustainability and decarbonisation,

the role of transport in society and communities, active travel and public

health and wellbeing, safety, the impact of transport and infrastructure

developments on businesses and the economy, and local and regional development.

We’re

looking for a Research Director, a highly capable methods expert specialised in

either quantitative or mixed method research, with substantial commercial and

business development experience. Transport and infrastructure policy expertise

is highly desirable.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader and experienced researcher. You will direct high-profile studies which influence and inform decision-making and policy within Government, including at the national, regional and local level, as well as working with non-governmental bodies, agencies and charities. You will also lead a key client account and drive growth in our business.

The main responsibilities will comprise:

• Taking responsibility and accountability for overall delivery and quality of projects (including large and complex multi-year projects).

• Designing research methods which stand up to scrutiny, providing clients with quality and innovation.

• Overseeing all aspects of the project lifecycle, from inception to design of questionnaires and sample strategies, to leading analysis plans and delivering final data and reporting outputs.

• Signing-off deliverables (e.g. questionnaires, presentations and reports) which meet clients’ and stakeholders’ objectives, adopting creative approaches where relevant.

• Leading proposals and revenue generation, including making pricing recommendations.

• Developing a strong understanding of clients’ needs and helping to grow our business.

• Communicating effectively with clients, internal and external suppliers, and internal colleagues both in writing and verbally.

• Supporting and supervising team members to deliver work, and supporting the team lead to effectively manage the team – for example through resourcing and contributing actively to business planning and development.

• Effectively overseeing relationships with suppliers and internal operations colleagues to ensure the objectives of the research are met on time and to budget.

• Being accountable for the financial performance and overall quality of projects.

• Line management of staff.

Essential:

This role will suit candidates who are experienced leaders and enjoy building long term relationships with clients, often delivering at a fast pace. We welcome interest from people with either a quantitative and/or mixed methods background. We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of preparing, writing, costing and pricing proposals – including for Government. Experience of Government procurement and proposal processes is essential.

• Desire to lead a key client account relationship and to grow our business.

• Excellent client handling and supplier negotiation skills.

• Excellent quantitative and mixed method research skills. This includes the ability to develop high-quality research materials, and to interrogate quantitative and/or qualitative research findings to construct strong narratives.

• Ability to lead multiple projects at any one time, to deliver quality and profitable work.

• Line management experience.