Research Director - Innovation

Summary

Research Director - Innovation

Job Description

[About Ipsos]

At Ipsos, we define ourselves as passionately curious. Through market research, we develop an accurate and deep understanding of people, brands, and markets to help our clients make smart, strategic business decisions. With the potential to create meaningful impact, both large and small, we are passionate about what we do and committed to enjoying the journey while delivering excellence.

[Role Purpose]

The Research Director is a senior leader responsible for driving business growth, delivering high-quality research solutions, managing key client relationships, and leading teams to achieve outstanding business outcomes. The role requires a strong balance of commercial acumen, research expertise, client leadership, and people management.

Responsibilities

[Key Responsibilities]

Business Leadership

• Act as a trusted representative and ambassador of the Ipsos brand.
• Ensure business and financial targets are achieved.
• Own and manage profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for assigned projects and accounts.
• Develop and execute new business generation and client development plans.
• Identify and pursue major new business opportunities.

Client Management

• Manage client accounts to ensure long-term success in revenue, profitability, and client satisfaction.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships leading to repeat business.
• Provide strategic consultation and actionable recommendations.

Research Leadership

• Lead project teams in the design, setup, and management of research projects.
• Direct complex and high-value research programs.
• Apply advanced research methodologies and analytical approaches.

Thought Leadership & Collaboration

• Increase Ipsos awareness through collaboration, cross-selling, and marketing initiatives.
• Share market trends, competitor intelligence, and industry developments.

People Leadership

• Lead, inspire, coach, and develop team members.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on growth and development.

Core Competencies

• Self-Management
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Client Focus
• Knowledge & Expertise
• Flexibility

Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of strong market research experience.
• Proven experience in business development and strong client relationships.
• Experience managing clients within relevant industry sectors.
• Ability to develop business plans incorporating client, people, collaboration, and financial considerations.
• Strong track record of managing complex projects and delivering commercial results.

Skills & Knowledge

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet challenging deadlines.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Well-developed people leadership and team management abilities.
• Professional client service skills.
• Expertise in presenting, facilitating discussions, and translating research findings into strategic recommendations and actionable outcomes.

About the Company

Ipsos is one of the world’s largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full-service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data-driven solutions, and presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject-matter experts from around the world, combining thematic and technical experts to deliver top-quality research and insights. Simply speaking, we help the biggest companies solve some of their biggest problems, serving more than 5000 clients across the globe by providing research, data, and insights on their target markets. And we are proud of our continuous efforts in making Ipsos the best place to work!

About the Organization

The Innovation Service Line guides clients throughout the innovation journey as they develop and launch new or improved products and services spanning a range of verticals. We help our clients develop the initial idea for a product/service, ensure the fully-articulated description of the product/service resonates with consumers, confirm that prototypes of the product/service properly deliver on consumer expectations, and finetune the full mix prior to launch. This is accomplished using best-in-class services, including idea screening, concept testing, product testing, price and line optimization, package testing and volumetric forecasting.