Senior Research Executive

Company Description

Portland is a fully integrated communications consultancy trusted by some of the highest profile organizations, governments and individuals in the world with global offices in Berlin, Paris, Brussels Washington DC, Singapore, Doha and Nairobi, as well as in London.

We are pioneers in integrated communications campaigns help clients manage their reputation, improve their visibility and media coverage – and deliver global communications campaigns across multiple platforms.

Our teams of experienced and multilingual consultants invest time to understand clients from the inside out, work with them to set clear strategic direction, and then bring the whole of Portland’s abilities to bear to deliver their objectives.

At Portland we never rest on our laurels; we constantly strive to improve our work and be at the forefront of the industry.

About Research & Strategy

The Research & Strategy Team is part of Portland’s SPARC unit (Strategy, Planning, Analytics, Research + Creative) which is a multidisciplinary team that develops impactful and creative strategies rooted in robust insights.

The team conducts primary and secondary research to support the public relations and communications work of Portland. In creating the best strategies for reaching the public or influencing key stakeholders, we use primary research methods from online surveys, to focus groups or online communities to find out what people believe and how best to speak to them. Our unit is growing fast and needs a promising researcher to join the team (you’ll be joining a specialist team of 10 within a wider business of c.300).

Position

The role

You will join the team as an Associate Consultant – which, in research agency terms, translates as a Senior Research Executive (SRE) with at least 18 months’ experience. The role will involve both quantitative and qualitative work, so you should be comfortable with both.

In combination with your research skills, you will need to be adept at thinking strategically and enjoy helping internal teams put our research to good use for many different types of clients.

Requirements

Key attributes for this role:

• 8+ months of market or social research experience gained in an agency setting.
• Experience scripting, fielding and creating analyses (working with data tables) for quantitative projects. Further experience and knowledge of statistical methods relevant to research (such as segmentation) are a bonus.
• Experience planning qualitative research, writing discussion guides, creating tasks and moderating depth interviews. Experience in the moderation of focus groups a bonus.
• Actively engaged in public affairs and the news.
• Collaborative attitude that enjoys working in a team.
• Understands the requirements of project management and has done this on a few projects already or is ready to make this step.
• Be logical and pragmatic. A lot of our work involves ambiguity, so you need to be comfortable tackling unusual problems and working out the best solution. This is not cookie-cutter research (i.e. big trackers that stay the same).
• High levels of attention to detail.
• Highly numerate with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Highly articulate, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Other information

What we offer in return

• We are committed to employee development and have an open doors culture where you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business. We regularly reward and promote success, and actively encourage staff to take on new challenges and responsibilities to aid progression.
• Our remuneration package also includes our competitive pension contributions, private healthcare life assurance cover, company contribution to gym membership, wellbeing workshops and activities, company parties and much, much more!
• At Portland we take a flexible approach to work and encourage our colleagues to do the same. All our roles are open to flexible working requests and we will consider all options during our recruitment process. This includes but is not limited to: flexible hours, home working, compressed hours and job sharing.
• In addition, every permanent member of staff that works at Portland is eligible for our industry leading annual profit share. When Portland thrives, all of our people share in that success.