Senior Research Manager

Part of M&C Saatchi this specialist division partners with governments civil society academia and the private sector to work on the critical issues of our time including conflict prevention and sustainable development. We provide a fully integrated end to end service combining multi-disciplinary communications teams with subject matter experts across the world. Our work is domestic and global often affecting the most vulnerable in society with international activity orientated towards conflict affected or developing countries.

We are looking for a proactive creative and analytically minded Senior Research Manager to join our team in Singapore. This is a management based role that requires someone who is culturally aware savvy and highly organised with strong experience high-quality research and evaluation across multiple communications programs.

The role supports the Senior Research Director & Head of Indo-Pacific in the day-to-day running of the Singapore research function combining hands-on research delivery with people management partner coordination and continuous improvement of research standards and processes. The Senior Research Manager ensures research is embedded across the full communications lifecycle from formative insight and message development through to evaluation learning and optimisation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research delivery (end-to-end)

• Lead and oversee research across the full communications lifecycle including formative research pre-testing monitoring evaluation and learning.

• Design and implement evaluation strategies aligned to behaviour change objectives logframes and Theories of Change.

• Oversee the use of qualitative quantitative and digital methods ensuring methodological rigour and consistency.

• Analyse synthesise and sense-check data and analysis produced by the team to ensure accuracy insight quality and relevance.

• Own the production of high-quality client-facing reports (baseline midline endline) demonstrating excellent writing synthesis and storytelling skills to translate complex analysis into clear compelling and actionable insight.

• Act as a point of escalation for project-level delivery issues and represent the research team in internal discussions with Accounts Strategy and Production teams.

Team management

• Hold formal line management responsibility for Research Managers (Senior) Analysts and interns including objectives appraisals and performance feedback.

• Coach and develop team members across analysis writing storytelling and project delivery.

• Support onboarding and contribute to internal training identifying skills gaps and supporting targeted capability development.

• Foster a collaborative high-quality research culture within the Singapore office.

• Provide regular upward reporting to the Senior Research Director on delivery quality resourcing and risks.

Managing research partner relationships

• Manage relationships with external research partners delivering primary research.

• Oversee quality timelines and scope adherence across outsourced work.

• Resolve delivery challenges or methodological issues in collaboration with partners.

• Coordinate inputs from partners and internal teams to ensure coherent and timely reporting.

AI innovation and process improvement

• Use AI tools to support desk research synthesis analysis and reporting where appropriate.

• Encourage responsible adoption of AI-enabled research practices across the team.

• Contribute to improving research efficiency consistency and quality through better tools templates and workflows.

ABOUT YOU

• Highly organised able to manage multiple projects and deadlines

• Creative thinker with strong problem-solving capabilities

• Comfortable presenting ideas strategies and reports to clients or internal teams

• Ability to work independently and collaborate across teams

Skills and experience

• Minimum 5 years experience in research monitoring and evaluation ideally within communications behaviour change or social impact contexts.

• Strong experience designing and delivering qualitative quantitative and mixed-methods research.

• Proven ability to manage research projects end-to-end from design through to client-ready reporting.

• Excellent writing and storytelling skills with experience producing clear structured and compelling insight reports.

• Experience line managing or mentoring junior and mid-level researchers including training and capability development.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to deadlines.

• Experience working with behaviour change frameworks Theories of Change logframes and evaluation strategies.

• Experience or strong interest in geopolitics social research and information environments.

• Experience working in complex or international contexts globally and across Asia-pacific.

• Experience using or strong interest in AI tools across the research lifecycle.

• Monitoring and OSINT experience is desirable.

WHAT YOU WILL GET

For the right candidate we will offer a competitive salary and benefits package along with all the necessary personal development required to set someone up for success.

ABOUT M&C SAATCHI GROUP

M&C Saatchi Group is a creative company that connects specialist expertise fuelled by data technology and culture to help clients navigate create and lead meaningful change. The Group operates across five core divisions: Connected Creativity; Passion Marketing; Global & Social Issues; Brand Experience & Innovation; and Performance Media. Headquartered in London operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK Europe US Middle East & Africa Asia and Australia.

M&C Saatchi Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not discriminate celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on talent and capability without regard for any personal characteristics.

All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

APPLICATIONS CLOSE FRIDAY 6 MARCH 2026. NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES.

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