Associate Manager, Primary Research

Associate Manager of Primary Research Position is a mid‑tier management role on the primary research team at People Inc. The Associate Manager supports all aspects of primary research, oversees internal research panel communities (7 panels with 150K+ consumers), and collaborates across advertising, product, content, and strategy functions to deliver insights that guide day‑to‑day and strategic decision‑making. The role supports Entertainment, Beauty & Style, and Health verticals and includes management of corresponding panels, including a small physician community. The Associate Manager will manage full‑cycle primary research projects, develop panel strategies, partner with stakeholders, and drive methodological improvement. Location: New York, Hybrid 3x a week. In‑office expectations: ability to work remotely up to 2 days per week. Responsibilities and Accountabilities End‑to‑End Project Management (60%) – Own the lifecycle of primary research initiatives: intake, scoping, fieldwork, analysis, and delivery. Manage timelines, budgets, workflows, cross‑functional coordination, and external vendors. Negotiate scope, contracts, and performance standards. Proactively identify risks and maintain stakeholder communication. Expected Result : Projects delivered on time and within budget, high methodological standards, stakeholder satisfaction, actionable outcomes. Panel Strategy & Health Management (20%) – Oversee the health, engagement, and performance of Entertainment, Beauty & Style, and Health panels. Monitor recruitment, retention, engagement, representativeness, and response quality. Develop strategies to sustain panel vitality. Expected Result : Strong engagement and retention, high‑quality data, scalable agile research source. Stakeholder Partnership (15%) – Translate business questions into research frameworks. Partner with editorial, marketing, sales, and strategy teams to clarify objectives, shape hypotheses. Align research with commercial priorities. Expected Result : Research aligned to objectives, strengthened relationships, consistent use in decision‑making. Innovation & Methodological Advancement (5%) – Champion improvements in tools, methodologies, workflows, reporting. Stay current on best practices, including AI‑assisted research. Expected Result : Continuous elevation of quality, efficiency, innovation, and storytelling. Education Bachelor’s degree from a 4‑year university. Experience 5–7 years of quantitative and qualitative primary research experience across a range of methodologies and business disciplines, ideally in media or related fields such as entertainment, beauty/fashion, or health. Essentials (Knowledge, Skills, Certifications, and Abilities) Strong organizational and project management skills. Flexible and able to pivot between projects and competing priorities. Proficiency with data tabs and analysis of complex data. Proven ability to translate research findings into clear, compelling narratives for internal stakeholders and external audiences (advertisers, clients). Hands‑on experience with core primary research methods: surveys, focus groups, IDIs (in‑person or virtual), online bulletin boards, and research panels. Familiarity with insights approaches such as MaxDiff, Van Westendorp, Kano, etc. Strong skills in building visually impactful presentations and infographics; make research feel like a story, not a technical report. A creative, experimental mindset – energized by trying new approaches even when outcomes aren’t guaranteed. Strong Plusses Experience managing in‑house research panels, including survey execution, member recruitment, and engagement best practices. Comfortable applying advanced analytics and statistical techniques (factor analysis, cluster analysis) to quantitative data. Experienced in assessing and mitigating data quality issues. Curious about or actively experimenting with AI tools to automate or streamline research workflows. Experience in sales & marketing research, content development, new product development, event research, pricing strategy, predictive market trends, or thought leadership. Genuine interest in entertainment/pop culture, beauty & style, and/or health. Travel Requirements 5% (Occasional conferences or potential for team meetings in other markets). Pay Range New York: $85,000.00 – $100,000.00. Benefits People Inc. provides medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off, adoption or surrogate assistance, donation matching, tuition reimbursement, basic life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accident insurance, commuter benefits, short‑ and long‑term disability, health savings and flexible spending accounts, family care benefits, 401(k) savings plan with company match, 10–12 paid holidays annually, generous paid parental leave, pet insurance, accident, critical and hospital indemnity health insurance, life and disability insurance. Benefits may vary by employment location and role. Equal Employment Opportunity People Inc. provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, public assistance status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The company provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodation requests may be made by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io. The company participates in the federal E‑Verify program to confirm identity and employment authorization of newly hired employees. #J-18808-Ljbffr People Inc.