Research Manager

About Answer Lab

Answer Lab helps pioneering leaders Own the Unknown — transforming uncharted territory into clarity, direction, and competitive advantage. We build strategic insight through deep human understanding and validate future possibilities with real people in real contexts. For more than 20 years, we've worked alongside some of the world's most forward‑looking organizations, helping them deliver breakthrough moments when no playbook exists.

As we evolve as a human‑grounded experience strategy firm, our Research Managers sit at the heart of that transformation — leading the people who do the work, shaping the quality of our work, and helping our clients see what comes next.

The Research Manager is a frontline research leader and a critical driver of Answer Lab's delivery excellence, research innovation, and people development. Embedded within a client‑aligned portfolio, the Research Manager ensures their team delivers rigorous, strategic, high‑caliber research — and that every researcher on their team is growing, supported, and set up to do their best work.

This role has been intentionally designed to be client‑facing and strategically oriented. With dedicated operational and back‑of‑house support in place, Research Managers focus on driving impact and results through exceptional research, exceptional people, and exceptional client partnerships.

You are the primary coach for your team of researchers. You create an environment that empowers people to do their best work, put forth their boldest ideas, and truly own the unknown for our clients.

• Provide consistent, individualized coaching through regular 1:1s, performance conversations, and real‑time feedback
• Foster the professional development of each direct report through mentorship, stretch opportunities, and clear growth pathways
• Onboard new researchers effectively, ensuring they understand Answer Lab's standards, methods, and client expectations from day one
• Cultivate a culture grounded in Answer Lab's values: curiosity, courage, accountability, and care
• Actively participate in hiring and selection of new research talent
• Model respectful leadership that holds space for bold ideas and honest dialogue

You are a key thought partner in shaping how we show up for clients, from the earliest stages of a new engagement to expanding existing ones.

• Partner with Customer Success Leads (CSLs) on scoping and proposal development and translate client needs into methodologically sound, compelling research
• Identify emerging client needs and opportunities within your portfolio, surfacing ideas for new research directions, creative experience strategies, or expanded partnerships
• Bring knowledge of your portfolio's industry context and client goals to bear in shaping research and experience strategy solutions that go beyond the brief
• Contribute to Answer Lab's thought leadership by sharing insights, trends, and perspectives relevant to your portfolio's landscape

You set and uphold the standard for what exceptional research looks like, from kickoff to presentation.

• Ensure high‑caliber, consistent research delivery across all client touchpoints, including project kickoffs, moderation/data collection, synthesis, and reporting
• Provide in‑the‑moment and structured feedback to researchers throughout the project lifecycle to drive continuous improvement and protect quality
• Participate in key client engagements — including kickoffs and report presentations — as a senior research voice and client relationship steward
• Maintain knowledge bases and facilitate knowledge sharing to build consistency and institutional learning across the team
• Monitor project health and proactively surface and resolve risks in collaboration with Research Ops and CSLs
• Ensure research deliverables translate into clear, actionable strategic direction for clients

You are a champion of how we evolve our research practice, embracing new tools, methods, ways of working, and helping your team adopt them with confidence.

• Stay current on emerging research methods, tools, and technologies…