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Project Manager
Are you a commercially sharp Project Manager who thrives in fast-moving qualitative research? We’re looking for a highly organised PM to join our close-knit London team – taking the lead on participant casting while managing flawless, end-to-end delivery.
If you bring hands-on experience in qualitative recruitment – from drafting sharp screeners to sourcing authentic human stories for focus groups and ethnographies – alongside strong budget and timeline management, this role is for you. Coming from a fast-paced agency, strategic research consultancy, or specialist casting background, you will become the operational heartbeat of our delivery function.
Working closely with our team to bring cultural insights to life, you’ll have the autonomy to own recruitment strategies, navigate multi-market global logistics, and confidently guide senior stakeholders to help shape real-world strategies for world-leading brands.
About us
We are Canvas8, a strategic insights practice with offices in London, NYC, LA, Singapore, and Manila. We help our clients understand people so they can make better business decisions.
Our work investigates the hidden insights in everyday life – from the psychology behind the rise of absurdism in media, and teenagers’ obsession with Romantasy and fan fiction, to why AI companions are becoming Gen Z’s go-to besties – and makes them meaningful for brands. Our team is a blend of disciplines and skills, from psychology to journalism and anthropology to behavioural economics. What unites us is a desire to understand people and a passion for delivering outstanding work.
About the role
Reporting to the Head of Project Management, you’ll work across both our membership and bespoke consultancy teams to guide projects seamlessly from start to finish. You’ll be the vital link connecting our internal researchers, global fieldwork partners, and clients, taking full ownership of the operational execution behind our social science research and membership project delivery.
A central priority in this role will be the hands-on management of participant recruitment. This could include designing screening criteria, managing recruitment vendors, directly overseeing participant onboarding, and ensuring niche demographics are accurately cast for complex qualitative briefs. Alongside these recruitment-focused projects, you will manage core project management responsibilities: building comprehensive timelines, mapping out international logistics, tracking budgets, and ensuring every piece of work lands on time, on budget, and to our high standards.
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The day-to-day
- Managing projects across membership and consultancy streams
- Working closely with senior teams to ensure seamless execution from start to finish
- Overseeing strategy and hands-on execution for participant recruitment, scheduling, and logistics for qualitative research projects including focus groups, ethnographies, and online communities
- Building and maintaining detailed project plans, timelines, and delivery roadmaps for both client-facing and internal workstreams
- Tracking project budgets, monitoring spend, and proactively flagging scope creep or financial risks to senior stakeholders
- Liaising daily with internal teams, ensuring clear updates, prioritised to-do lists, and aligned delivery expectations across departments
- Contributing to the ongoing development of internal delivery processes, helping improve efficiency and consistency across projects
About you
You are a detail-driven and highly organised project manager who is confident working across multiple complex workstreams simultaneously. You are comfortable building structured project plans, managing timelines with precision, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
You are equally strong on the human side of delivery. With high emotional intelligence and cultural empathy, you navigate relationships with ease, whether with senior internal stakeholders or external clients. You communicate clearly, confidently, and calmly, even when projects become fast-moving or high-pressure.
When challenges arise, you are steady and solution-focused. You don’t overreact to change. Instead, you bring clarity, structure, and calm decision-making. You are someone teams rely on to keep projects on track and expectations aligned.
Requirements
- 3–5 years of project or account management experience within a fast-paced agency, strategic research consultancy, casting agency or client-side insights team
- Proven track record coordinating end-to-end qualitative fieldwork and participant recruitment across mobile ethnographies, online communities, in-person and remote focus groups
- Sharp financial acumen with direct experience tracking project budgets and proactively mitigating scope creep
- Confidence managing senior client stakeholders and collaborating directly alongside internal Senior Leadership Teams
- Prior experience working with financial services clients (highly desirable but not essential).
- Genuine interest in exploring new markets, cultures, and research methods
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Exceptional organisational skills
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
- Proactive and self-motivated
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Benefits
- Hybrid working with flexible start times
- 29 days paid holiday (including bank holidays) plus a festive half day at the end of the year
- Work from anywhere for up to two weeks per year
- Pension, life insurance, cashback, private health plan and cycle scheme
- Access to physical and mental wellbeing support, including two ‘Mental Wealth’ days each year and access to 24/7 GP support
- Personalised career development plan and ongoing training
- Interest-free Life Unlock Loan for life’s bigger moments
- Dependant leave for those times when your family needs you most
- Summer Fridays, seasonal perks and regular socials to keep things fun
- Buddy system to support you as you settle in
- Long service awards to celebrate your milestones with us
- A friendly and welcoming team (pooches included)
If you think this sounds like a good fit, please apply below by outlining why and attaching your CV.
Applications will close on Friday, August 7, 2026.
At Canvas8, we believe in the power of diversity to drive innovation. We're committed to creating an inclusive space where every individual is valued. Join us in a workplace that celebrates differences – race, gender, age, and beyond – fueling our creativity and competitive edge. We actively seek diverse talents and provide equal opportunities, free from discrimination. Shape your future with us, where diversity isn't just a value but a key to our success.
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