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Deadline for applications: Monday 2 June 2025 at Midnight
Full time salary: £24,480
Our in-house team of researchers are qualitative, quantitative and data analysis specialists, generating meaningful insights with practical applications for our clients. We exploit our unrivalled market data and are experts in action research, user-centred design, depth research and visitor journey mapping.
Our research approaches and ways of working are outlined here.
The Research Team works across the whole organisation, designing, developing, delivering and maintaining the services offered to our clients through our national audience data platforms, standard reports and bespoke research projects, as well as our evidence work.
Our work spans both physical and digital audiences as well as those that actively participate in creative activities. We would also be interested in people with experience of brand research such as brand tracking, semiotics and/or advertising testing.
Role Purpose
This is a busy “hands-on” role, working with the team that is primarily responsible for delivery of our qualitative research.
The Research Assistant will primarily deliver qualitative research, including discussion groups, depth interviews, visitor journey mapping, stakeholder consultation and other in-depth approaches. This will help cultural organisations to understand and grow their audiences and also inform sector level developments.
As required, the Research Assistant will support on delivery of wider research, including desk research, quantitive methodologies and Audience Answers services. Audience Answers is a data sharing programme that enables cultural organisations to share data and understand their audiences in market context.
The post holder will be encouraged and supported to undertake professional development whilst in post and will be trained in the specialist product and platform software.
We are also currently recruiting for a Quantitative Research Assistant; please apply for the role which best suits your skills, experience, and interests.
Why you should apply
You will get to play to your strengths in research planning, delivery and reporting, and support others to value and apply research. You will use and develop your experience to make a difference to a wide range of communities, organisations, agencies and local authorities, and will be able to influence both policy and practice.
You will enjoy a varied working week, working on varied projects and using a range of methodologies. You will work closely with other members of the research team and also our wider network of consultants.
Working from home, and on-site with clients as required, you will be able to organise your time flexibly, you will be part of a supportive, welcoming and experienced team and encouraged to develop your own practice and learning. You will gain strong applied research skills relevant to the cultural sector.
Key Result Areas
To provide clients with data-driven insight to help them understand more about their audiences
- To manage the recruitment of participants to focus groups and interviews.
- To conduct depth interviews and focus groups and carry out observational work.
- To support visitor journey mapping research.
- To analyse and interpret qualitative data.
- To conduct additional bespoke analysis, including digital analysis using social media platform metrics, Google Analytics, etc.
- To contribute to wider research, including the building, delivery and analysis of quantitative surveys and conduct other data analysis as required.
- To contribute to the delivery of standard reporting for clients, including both periodic reporting and one-off reports.
- To work with segmentation tools such as Audience Spectrum.
To support people internally and externally to better use and understand data
- To provide research advice and support for our consultancy and wider teams.
- To work with clients to understand outputs, and to support them in their use of these outputs.
To use appropriate tools, software and data sources to meet research objectives
- To use software and analysis tools relevant to the role. This may include text analysis tools, databases such as Access and Excel, digital platforms and data collection/analysis/reporting tools such as MMG3, Snap Surveys, cubes, SQL, SPSS and Power BI.
- To use secondary population data such as TGI, Census and Taking Part.
- To understand and introduce new and emerging qualitative methods, relevant datasets and tools.
To communicate research findings internally and externally
- To summarise, illustrate and present findings in understandable and actionable ways.
- To contribute to the production and presentation of reports and other outputs for clients, stakeholders and internal colleagues.
To co-ordinate research projects to ensure work is kept on track
- To liaise with clients, suppliers and fieldworkers to check progress of projects and report internally.
- To administer invoicing, payment and project tracking using the CRM system and to keep accurate records.
To maintain high standards of research practice in all our work
- To ensure compliance with TAA’s data management policies and GDPR legislation and to contribute to developments in this area.
- To ensure that all staff are aware of and adhere to the Market Research Society’s code and guidelines for good practice in research projects.
- To contribute to TAA developments in research practice, such as the Anti-Racist Research Guidelines.
To support The Audience Agency to grow and develop
- Keep abreast of trends and changes in the sector through continuing professional and personal development.
- To model best practice in diversity and inclusion.
- To model The Audience Agency’s values in all work with colleagues and clients.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
- Experience through work or study of:
- conducting qualitative research
- analysing related data
- Good understanding (and ideally some experience) of:
- research methodologies
- principles and value of audience/market research
- applying research in a user, customer or audience context
- Knowledge of (or ability to learn) specialist software, analysis or reporting packages noted in the job role section.
Skills
- Confidence in communicating face to face with members of the public
- Ability to interpret research data
- Demonstrable attention to detail, displaying accuracy, rigour and thoroughness
- Critical thinking skills and ability to develop and present reasoned insights
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills at a professional level
- High levels of customer service and professionalism in delivery
- Ability to demonstrate active listening and learning skills
- Ability to manage and prioritise workload across a number of different projects and demands, in a busy environment
- Ability to deliver on time, to budget and to a high standard
- Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and to demonstrate a collaborative approach to work
- Excellent IT skills including Excel, Word, PowerPoint
- Ability to display numerical confidence
Personal Attributes
- Willingness to continue professional and personal development
- Interest in The Audience Agency’s work and mission, and an ability to demonstrate these values in own way of working
- Understanding of diversity and inclusion across the breadth of the role and operating in the context of the organisation
- Interest in arts, culture and heritage
