Program Manager, Research Ops (temporary)

Sago is a global leader in market research and data solutions, committed to connecting human answers to business questions. The world is transforming, and Sago is continuously reaching new heights, redefining our solutions beyond our clients' wildest expectations, and making it smarter, faster, and easier to gain insights that matter.

We're a team of innovators, strategists, and problem-solvers, passionate and inspired thinkers, who celebrate our wins. We are vibrant leaders who empower our colleagues and innovate the Market Research industry - curious learners constantly finding new ways to transform. We are bold thinkers and authentic team members who show up to work every day being ourselves, never afraid of new ideas or opinions, because we believe they matter.

We are currently seeking a PROGRAM MANAGER, RESEARCH OPS for a temporary position anticipated to last three (3) months, with the possibility for extension.

Location: Onsite within proximity to Penn Station, NYC

Schedule: Four (4) days per week, Friday through Monday (full-time, daytime hours)

Pay rate: Hourly rate is anticipated to be $45-$50/hour dependent on candidate experience and qualifications.

Requirements

The Program Manager, Research Operations is the onsite leader responsible for day-to-day program delivery, team performance, staffing, quality, participant experience, and client partnership in a secure research environment. This role reports to the Program Director and serves as the primary onsite representative to client stakeholders.

This is a hands-on leadership role. The Program Manager leads Senior UX Research Assistants and Operations Coordinators while actively participating in operations when needed, including stepping in to support studies, resolve issues, cover gaps, coach in real time, and keep service delivery running smoothly.

Client Partnership & Program Leadership

• Serve as the primary onsite point of contact for client stakeholders and represent the program with professionalism, responsiveness, and strong issue ownership.
• Provide clear updates on program performance, staffing needs, risks, quality trends, and improvement opportunities.
• Anticipate and resolve operational issues, escalations, and service failures while protecting client confidence and program continuity.
• Team Leadership, Coaching & Performance
• Directly manage Senior UX Research Assistants and Operations Coordinators supporting onsite research programs.
• Set and reinforce expectations for quality, professionalism, participant experience, documentation, compliance, and operational execution.
• Coach team members through direct observation, feedback, retraining, corrective action, and performance improvement plans when needed.
• Correct poor operational behaviors in real time and model the standards expected from the team.

Staffing, Scheduling & Hiring

• Own team scheduling, coverage planning, workload balancing, time-off coordination, and contingency staffing across studies and shifts.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and internal stakeholders to recruit, interview, and select replacements or additional team members as vacancies or program needs arise.
• Lead onboarding and training plans so new hires are prepared to meet quality, operational, compliance, and client expectations.

Quality & Operational Excellence

• Monitor onsite operations to ensure procedures, security expectations, participant standards, and client requirements are followed consistently.
• Conduct quality reviews, direct observations, and operational audits to identify gaps, risks, recurring issues, and coaching opportunities.
• Investigate complaints, compliance issues, quality concerns, and escalations, then implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Hands-On Operational Support

• Actively participate in daily operations during staffing shortages, peak demand, escalations, training gaps, or unexpected issues.
• Support participant coordination, scheduling, onsite logistics, room flow, study handoffs, troubleshooting, and other operational needs as required.
• Maintain a practical understanding of frontline workflows to improve processes, coach effectively, and ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure team adherence to confidentiality requirements, participant privacy standards, security protocols, documentation expectations, and facility requirements.
• Partner with client and internal stakeholders to support audits, reviews, risk mitigation, and process changes.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Research Operations, Psychology, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent operational leadership experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• 5+ years of operations, program management, customer experience, research operations, or related leadership experience.
• Experience managing teams in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Experience serving as a primary client-facing contact or stakeholder partner.
• Experience managing schedules, staffing plans, hiring support, onboarding, and day-to-day operations.
• Demonstrated experience coaching employees, improving performance, correcting behaviors, and driving accountability.
• Experience supporting research operations, participant-facing programs, laboratory operations, customer experience teams, or complex service delivery environments.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, and calendar management tools.
• Google Workspace tools including Docs, Sheets, Calendar, and Chat.
• Workforce scheduling, resource planning, operational reporting, quality tracking, and performance management tools.
• Ability to quickly learn new technologies, operational platforms, and client-specific systems.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• People leadership, coaching, corrective feedback, and performance management.
• Client relationship management and professional stakeholder communication.
• Operational judgment, problem solving, escalation management, and decision-making.
• Workforce scheduling, coverage planning, and resource management.
• Commitment to quality, accountability, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to balance leadership responsibilities with hands-on operational execution.