Senior Research Manager

Job Description

Senior Research Manager - Leeds (onsite) Salary band: £34,000 - £40,000 DOE + benefits (see below)We are Cosmos, we deliver engagement programmes for young people alongside meaningful research projects, to empower positive long-term change in the education sector.We are at an exciting phase of growth and are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Research Manager to join our friendly team to help support this next development phase.The Company We specialise in delivering youth and student research within the Education sector.Examples of areas we are commissioned to investigate include providing robust insights on student educational experiences, from secondary school through to university; and assessing impacts of targeted student initiatives.We are also proud to be a culturally sensitive organisation and deliver national educational Black and Ethnic Minority research projects, to help institutions significantly improve equitability in education for students from minority ethnic backgrounds.We also work with public, private and education sectors to deliver initiatives and training that help to improve the life chances, social mobility and experiences of young people / adults within the social care and education sectors. For more informationon the work that we do, please visit cosmosltd.uk.What we offer

• Option to become a member of the pension scheme
• Bonus review every year based on individual and company performance
• Salary is reviewed every 6 months in line with PDR objectives and reviewed on a 6 monthly basis
• 23 days annual leave entitlement - rising 1 day for every year of service *capped limit (AL is a benefit we are currently reviewing)
• Additional day off for Christmas Shopping
• 8 statutory bank holidays
• 37hrs p/w (with flexi / toil for overtime)
• Work from home Fridays
• Paid parental leave (after successful completion of probation period)
• Discounted gym membership "The Edge" (200m from office)
• Refreshments provided, free of charge
• Access to annual calendar of community events at Nexus, additional CPD

The job purpose To lead the Project Team in the successful execution, management and delivery of research projects.Role Responsibilities General duties

• Oversee, deliver and act as Project Lead on a number of assigned research projects, both qual. and quant.
• Lead project team on the successful delivery of assigned projects, with minimal involvement from Associate Directors / Director.
• Break down assigned projects into work packages and provide thorough briefings to project team members.
• Carry out responsive risk management and troubleshooting on projects, during project delivery. Identify any potential risks ahead of time and implement effective risk management strategies / solutions.
• Ensure all project objectives have been met for assigned projects, within scope and outputs are delivered to the client on time and are of an excellent standard.
• Develop and maintain strong positive relationships with clients and ensure needs are fully met.
• Manage changes to the project scope, project schedule and project costs, proposing feasible solutions to Associate Directors / Directors.

Analysis and Insight

• Lead on the creation and delivery of accurate and meaningful insights to clients in line with research objectives. Taking a story first approach to the analysis.
• Oversee and guide the development of analysis plans.
• Lead on project analysis sessions.

Reporting and Outputs

• Lead the creation of high quality reports and outputs, with support from Junior/Senior researchers.
• Excellent visual storyboarding and presentation insights and data to the client.
• Review and finalise reporting outputs, before sharing with Director for sign off.
• Ensuring these are delivered on time and to a high standard, supporting the management of client expectations in the event of any difficulties.
• Lead in presentations to clients.

Internal Projects

• Lead in internal best practice and proposition development projects, ensuring we produce the best work possible.
• Contribute to the development of business strategy and proposition, through attendance at Senior Management meetings.

New business development

• Ensure up-to-date knowledge of Public Sector and Higher Education markets and trends.
• Support Director in up-selling and positively contribute to the development of our offerings to meet clients current and/or future needs, where appropriate.
• Attend relevant sector conferences and networking events.
• Start to identify and develop new relationships with prospective clients.
• Support the Director in the writing of proposals and positively contribute at the ideation stage of proposals.

Leadership

• Line management of Senior Researchers and Research Managers managing their workload, development and training.
• Deliver internal training and knowledge sharing sessions on areas of expertise; including contributions to the Cosmos Learning lunch series.
• Foster and contribute to a positive working culture when leading project teams.
• Lead and exemplify delivery of Cosmos core values.

Education, Knowledge and Experience

• Degree with a minimum of 2:1
• Desirable: Degree preferably in psychology, social sciences or research related discipline
• 4 plus years demonstrable experience of managing and successfully delivering multiple projects, ensuring deadlines are agreed and met to the clients satisfaction
• 4 plus years demonstrable experience of triangulating data from a variety of sources (quant. and qual.), interpreting and presenting the findings/outcomes and making appropriate recommendations
• Proficient in research design

Keywords:Research Manager, Research Lead, Project Manager, Project Leader, Project Lead, Market Research, Market Researcher, Market Research Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Market Development Manager, Education, Education Research,Diversity Manager