Senior Research Executive
Message House is growing! We are looking for talented, committed and ambitious individuals to join us as Senior Research Executives. Message House is an award-winning consultancy that solves complex problems to make communications better. We are experts in message testing and narrative development and pride ourselves in turning smart insights into actionable advice, whether it’s helping clients to develop a new campaign, to understand their brand and audiences better, or to respond effectively to a reputation challenge in the media.
Message House has recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, during which time our team has conducted research across 35 countries using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including focus groups, surveys and in-depth interviews. From policy elites to parents in favelas, we pride ourselves on our ability to speak with diverse and hard-to-reach audiences. Past clients include many familiar brands such as Sky, LEGO Foundation, Microsoft and the National Trust.
The role
Our Senior Research Executive role builds upon foundational knowledge of the research process and gives more opportunities to further develop research and communication skills, while gaining more exposure to suppliers and clients. Given the variety of research tools we use at Message House, the role of a Senior Research Executive can vary quite considerably. For example, in recent months, Senior Research Executives have:
Conducted 1-2-1 interviews to help understand what employees want from work
Helped set up, run and analyse focus groups to better understand consumers’ attitudes towards the energy transition, including drafting discussion guides, screening for ideal respondents and observing the sessions
Analysed survey data to provide audience insights for a major consumer brand
Helped write proposals for new business projects, liaising with suppliers and developing budget
Drafted debrief notes and PowerPoint decks, summarising our key findings for clients
This is an exciting role for people looking to further their career in market research and corporate communications or apply their existing research experience to a new industry; you will learn quickly, be trained and supported by a close-knit and collaborative team and work directly with the senior leadership, providing you with excellent opportunities to develop new skills.
What we’re looking for
We are looking for people who are passionate, hard-working, and self-motivated. A love of problem-solving and asking ‘what if’ is essential!
At Message House, we never settle for ‘good enough’ – we deliver the highest quality of work in an often fast-paced environment. The successful candidates will therefore need a willingness to work flexibly and adapt quickly, whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail.
You need to be numerate and comfortable dealing with complex projects and both quantitative and qualitative data sources, supported by strong IT skills in data handling and analysis as well as communication and presentation of findings e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
We are looking for candidates with at least one years’ professional experience in market research (or a related field). Ideally you should have experience of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including drafting recruitment screeners, developing discussion guides and questionnaires based on client briefs, as well as experience translating quantitative and qualitative data into insights. Some experience of project management would also be desirable.
Full training and mentoring will be provided to successful applicants to help you continue to progress in the role and your career, however, we do expect you to be a proactive self-starter, who can quickly adapt to Message House’s way of working.
What we can offer you
We can offer you a varied and challenging role in a growing company with opportunities for quick progression. Since Message House began in 2013, we have gone from 1 person to a team of over 15, and this role will provide the chance to be part of our continued development as we look to grow the business further. Progression within the company is quick and we have members of the team who have progressed from Research Executive to being a Director, managing people and leading client accounts.
At Message House, we are people first. We are a friendly and thoughtful group of individuals. We regularly organise social activities as a team, whether it be our relaxed weekly tea and cake get together, Christmas and summer parties, or our monthly social activities - there will be ample opportunity to get to know everyone and quickly become a fully-fledged member of the team. The salary on offer is between £28,500 - £30,500 (depending on experience) plus a wide range of additional benefits:
Annual leave of 22 paid days leave, in addition to bank holidays and paid time off between Christmas and New Year (rising to 23 paid days after 2 years and 25 days after 5 years)
A bonus paid day off for your birthday
Automatic entry to the company bonus scheme
A pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution
Significant training and opportunities for development
Twice yearly volunteering days
Regular social activities
Interest-free annual rail ticket loan
The role is based in our Berkhamsted office (HP4) and can sometimes require national and international travel.
Our office is an 8-minute walk from Berkhamsted station, which is on the Milton Keynes Central – London Euston Northwestern train line. Currently we are all working from the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and working from home on Wednesday and Friday. The ability to work from our office is essential.
The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in the UK.
Interested?
You can find out more at www.message-house.co.uk and https://www.linkedin.com/company/message-house/
If you’d like to apply, please send a 1-page covering letter, covering the following points, together with a CV to recruitment@message-house.co.uk.
Your relevant experience and skills for this role
Your interest in working in research and communications
Your interest in working for Message House specifically
Closing date for applications is 2nd May 2024. Initial interviews will be conducted over the phone or Teams with final interviews in person at our office in Berkhamsted. The start date is flexible for the right candidate(s).
