Associate Research Director- Sensory and Consumer Science

Associate Research Director – Sensory and Consumer Science

Full‑time

Who we are

We are the leading international sensory and consumer research company specialising in food, beverages, cosmetics, personal care, and other consumer products. We have 19 proprietary state‑of‑the‑art facilities across France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom, Morocco, China and the USA, and cover more than 65 countries through our network of approved partners.

SAM provides tailor‑made solutions, delivering actionable guidelines to make our clients’ brands and products memorable.

Best in class

Our team is diverse, including sensory scientists, food technologists, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, strategic thinkers, marketeers, field managers, technicians and other sensory and research experienced colleagues.

Our role

Reporting to a Research Director, the Associate Research Director oversees various accounts and multiple projects, brings technical expertise to the research team and develops a team of Research Managers.

• Responsible for 3‑4 FMCG product testing accounts: client retention, client delight and account growth
• Ensure revenue targets for assigned accounts are achieved
• Develop proactive plans to address risks and capitalize on opportunities within accounts
• Oversee timely, accurate and high‑quality project delivery for the account team

• Lead the development and delivery of complex proposals and tenders
• Bring technical expertise and ensure the use of best‑practice methodologies
• Deliver complex regional and global projects, playing an active role in project management, reporting and holistic delivery of projects
• Provide strategic, story‑led recommendations based on client feedback, market trends and project performance
• Ensure project execution aligns with client objectives and broader business priorities

• Line manage 2‑3 Research Managers
• Manage workload allocation and resource planning for the team
• Ensure Research Managers receive appropriate coaching and training
• Mentor team members in research skills, leadership and career development
• Ensure outputs from team members meet the expected standards of quality and insight

• Minimum 3 years in consumer research and/or sensory research
• FMCG product testing experience: practical experience of core product testing methodologies such as HUTs, CLTs and IDIs
• Foundational understanding of qualitative research and the ability to recommend qualitative work or bring in qualitative experts from within SAM
• Significant experience in a Research Manager role
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Strong leadership abilities to manage teams and oversee large‑scale research initiatives
• Excellent organisational and problem‑solving skills
  
  Rigorous, responsive and proactive attitude