Research Manager

Research Manager

M&C Saatchi World Services US is seeking a highly analytical and strategically minded Research Manager. This role leads the development of audience, stakeholder, and behavioral insights that inform communications, outreach, and engagement strategies, ensuring research findings are translated into actionable recommendations that strengthen decision-making and improve mission outcomes.

The role leads research, analysis, and insight-generation efforts across a diverse portfolio of federal programs. Working at the intersection of behavioral science, stakeholder engagement, communications, and analytics, you will design and execute research initiatives that help organizations better understand audiences, evaluate engagement effectiveness, and identify opportunities to improve communications and outreach strategies. You will leverage qualitative and quantitative methodologies to uncover meaningful insights, support strategic planning, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capabilities with a deep understanding of research methodologies, stakeholder behavior, and audience engagement. They are comfortable translating complex data into compelling narratives, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, and developing actionable recommendations that drive measurable impact.

This is a hybrid role; however, the ideal candidate will live in the greater NYC area or the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead research initiatives that support communications, outreach, stakeholder engagement, and organizational priorities.
• Design and execute qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research projects that generate actionable insights and support strategic decision-making.
• Analyze stakeholder behaviors, audience needs, sentiment trends, engagement patterns, and perception drivers across multiple channels and stakeholder groups.
• Conduct segmentation analysis to identify priority audiences, engagement opportunities, and communications strategies tailored to stakeholder needs.
• Develop research-backed recommendations that strengthen communications planning, stakeholder engagement, behavior-change initiatives, and organizational effectiveness.
• Produce reports, dashboards, visualizations, briefings, and executive summaries that communicate findings clearly and effectively.
• Collaborate with communications, stakeholder engagement, UX, analytics, policy, and program teams to ensure research findings inform planning and execution.
• Support stakeholder journey mapping, persona development, audience intelligence efforts, and engagement measurement initiatives.
• Manage research methodologies, data collection approaches, survey instruments, discussion guides, and analytical frameworks.
• Maintain research documentation, metadata structures, taxonomies, datasets, and reporting standards to ensure consistency and quality.
• Partner with external research vendors, fieldwork partners, and subject matter experts when required to support project execution.
• Identify and evaluate emerging research tools, methodologies, and technologies that improve insight generation and organizational understanding.

Key Attributes:

Degree or relevant experience in Communications, Marketing, Behavioral Science, Sociology, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Analytics, Research, or a related field preferred. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, as required by the position. Experience conducting qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research within communications, stakeholder engagement, behavioral science, market research, public affairs, or related environments. Strong understanding of audience research, stakeholder analysis, behavioral science, segmentation methodologies, and communications effectiveness measurement. Experience designing research approaches, developing data collection tools, and translating findings into strategic recommendations. Experience utilizing AI-assisted research, media monitoring, social listening, or audience intelligence tools to support analysis and strategic recommendations. Curiosity in technology landscape and how AI is changing communications. Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and actionable insights. Experience developing reports, dashboards, visualizations, executive briefings, and stakeholder-facing research products. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills. Experience working with analytics, visualization, social listening, research, or audience intelligence platforms. Ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear and compelling narratives. Strong attention to detail and commitment to methodological rigor, data quality, and research integrity. Experience collaborating across communications, stakeholder engagement, UX, analytics, policy, and program management teams. Experience supporting federal government, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, international development, or mission-driven programs is preferred. Familiarity with behavioral science frameworks, journey mapping, persona development, audience intelligence methodologies, or research technologies is preferred.

Why You'll Love It Here

• Work on impactful programs supporting federal and defense-related initiatives.
• Collaborate with high-performing cross-functional teams across communications, digital and analytics disciplines.
• Opportunity to shape strategic public engagement initiatives at enterprise scale.
• Flexible hybrid working environment.
• Exposure to complex, mission-driven stakeholder engagement challenges.
• Career development opportunities within a fast-growing global organization.

What You Get

We offer a competitive salary and a benefits package designed to support your health, family life, financial wellbeing, and growth.

• 12 weeks' full pay for Primary Carers and 6 weeks for Secondary Carers (after one year of service; return requirements apply for subsequent leave) Applies to birth, adoption, and surrogacy Up to 10 days' paid fertility leave per year (5 per cycle) 2 days' paid leave for new grandparents $2,500 annual interest-free parental loan $6,000 interest-free fertility treatment loan Choice of three medical plans (HSA at $0 cost; EPO 75% employer funded; PPO 65% employer funded) 70% employer-funded dental and vision coverage Generous paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, including an office closure between Christmas & New Year's Gym membership reimbursement and/or Wellhub subscription 401(k) with 4% employer match 24/7 mental health support through Self Space Social events, happy hours, professional development trainings, etc. Work from anywhere for up to 2 weeks per year (subject to approval) $300 annual cultural stimulation allowance (accrued monthly; available after 90 days) Weekly Thursday happy hour Mentorship and Buddy programs

M&C Saatchi World Services is a specialist division of M+C Saatchi Group, the world's largest independent communications network. Our specialists work in office hubs across six continents, grounding our global expertise in local nuance. We offer award-winning commercial communications capabilities, which are utilized by global organizations to address the world's most complex problems across defence, development, diplomacy, homeland and national security, law and order, health, education, and the environment.

We work with clients that want to help the hardest-to-reach, hardest-to-influence audiences. This includes a range of Western Government departments, such as DOS and USAID; partner governments, including the U.K. and Australia; and prominent IGOs/NGOs such as the U.N.

We are a comms agency that works on behaviour change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defence and Stabilization. Whether it's producing critically acclaimed feature films in Africa, to TV shows in the Middle East, to pop music videos in Asia, we have a record of leveraging creativity to access communities anywhere in the world.