Absolute Recruit
Associate Research Director

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Associate Director - Quantitative Market Research
We’re working with a high-growth, founder-led global human insights and market research business looking to strengthen its London quantitative team with an experienced Associate Director.
The business works with an impressive portfolio of major international brands across a wide range of sectors and markets. It has built a reputation for combining rigorous research with strong commercial thinking and compelling storytelling, helping clients move beyond the data and understand what it means for their business.
Culture is a major part of the attraction. This is an ambitious, creative and collaborative environment where people are encouraged to challenge thinking, take ownership and produce genuinely high-quality work.
This is a senior role for someone already operating at Associate Director level, or an experienced Senior Research Manager ready to step up, who wants greater ownership of clients, projects, methodologies and people.
Duties
- You’ll take a leading role across the quantitative research offering, with responsibility for delivering complex projects from initial brief through to final recommendations.
- Lead quantitative research projects end to end, taking ownership from proposal and research design through questionnaire development, sampling, fieldwork, analysis and final delivery.
- Manage multiple studies and priorities, ensuring projects are delivered to a consistently high standard and against agreed timelines.
- Turn data into insight, moving beyond the numbers to identify clear, commercially relevant findings and recommendations.
- Create compelling deliverables, producing high-quality reports and presentations that tell a clear story and influence client decisions.
- Act as a trusted client partner, building strong relationships and providing confident, consultative advice on research and insight.
- Support account growth, contributing to proposals, pitches and opportunities to expand existing client relationships.
- Bring strong methodological knowledge, advising on research design, sampling, analysis and the most appropriate quantitative approaches for each brief.
- Contribute to presentations and storytelling, confidently communicating findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Develop junior researchers, providing coaching, mentoring and support to help raise standards across the team.
- Collaborate across the business, working closely with strategy and creative colleagues to turn research into meaningful client outcomes.
- Embrace new ways of working, including technology and AI-enabled approaches that can enhance research, analysis and delivery.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Ideal candidate profile
We’re looking for an experienced quantitative researcher who combines strong technical capability with commercial thinking, excellent communication skills and genuine curiosity.
Ideally, you will bring:
- Significant experience within quantitative market research, ideally gained within an agency or insight consultancy environment.
- A strong track record of leading complex quantitative projects end to end.
- Broad knowledge of quantitative methodologies, potentially including tracking, segmentation, U&A, pricing, conjoint or other advanced research techniques.
- Strong analytical capability and confidence interpreting complex datasets.
- Experience using quantitative research and analytics tools such as SPSS, R, Python or similar, alongside survey platforms.
- Excellent client management and consultative skills, with the confidence to operate as a trusted senior adviser.
- Strong project management skills and the ability to manage several concurrent workstreams.
- Outstanding analysis and storytelling skills, turning numbers into clear, engaging and decision-ready outputs.
- Commercial awareness and experience contributing to proposals, pitches or account development.
- Experience mentoring or developing more junior researchers.
- A high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- A curious, collaborative approach and genuine interest in brands, consumers and human behaviour.


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In return, you’ll receive:
- £75,000 - £80,000 + Bonus + benefits
- London hybrid working, 3 days per week in the office
- Significant ownership of projects and client relationships
- Exposure to an impressive portfolio of major international brands
- The opportunity to join a high-growth, founder-led business
- A collaborative, creative and inclusive working environment
- Genuine scope for progression as the business continues to grow
- The opportunity to help shape how quantitative research is delivered across the business
For someone who enjoys combining research, analysis, client advisory work and storytelling, this is an opportunity to take on a highly visible role within a growing and ambitious insights business.
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