Associate Director, Fieldwork Operations

About us:

Inizio Ignite is the global advisory partner for health and life sciences, encompassing connected expertise across Research Partnership, Putnam, Vynamic, and STEM. Guided by purpose, passion, and precision, we collaborate with clients to ignite impact, accelerate performance, and deliver lasting change for patients. By uniting strategy, insights, and innovation with a unique depth and breadth of expertise, we drive transformation and shape the future of health.

Research Partnership (part of Inizio Ignite) is one of the world's largest pharma market research and consulting agencies with over 250 researchers, consultants, project managers and support staff. Our teams are located across the globe, in Europe (London, Lyon), North America (New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco) and Asia (Singapore, Delhi).

About the team:

The RP Operations team works alongside our Custom and Syndicated research teams to deliver a broad range of qualitative and quantitative (ad hoc and tracking) studies for global pharmaceutical, MedTech and biotech clients to enable them to address product development, marketing, brand, advertising and communications objectives. Our studies are typically multi-market, encompassing respondents in Europe, North America and Emerging Markets.

Each of our research projects will have a dedicated member of the RP Operations team embedded within the core project team for the full project lifecycle, providing project management expertise and guidance throughout. Typically, members of our Operations team will support multiple projects concurrently. As an Insights Field Operations Associate Director, this will involve working directly with both the Research Directors, as well as with other departments (Finance, IT, Creative) to provide Project Management subject matter expertise.

As a Field Operations Associate Director you will have responsibility for managing a team of Project Managers/Executives. This will involve mentoring, performance management as well as overseeing recruitment activities (interviewing candidates) for roles within your team. You will also be responsible for delivering subject-specific training both within your line management team and the wider Operations team.

Your primary role:

The Field Operations Associate Director is a senior leadership role within US Field Operations at Insights. The role is responsible for overseeing the quality, consistency, and delivery of project management output from a team of RP Project Managers, while also acting as a hands-on Project Manager on active studies.

This position plays a central role in supporting the alignment of project management roles and responsibilities across RP and STEM within Insights. Working closely with the Head of US Field Operations, the Associate Director will develop a deep understanding of both RP and STEM operating models and contribute to the evolution of project management capabilities under the Insights organization.

The role combines direct project delivery, people leadership, client engagement, and cross-business collaboration, and requires strong judgement, operational credibility, and the ability to lead through complexity.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery & Oversight

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery and quality of US RP project management output, ensuring projects are delivered to a high standard and in line with client expectations.
• Act as Project Manager on assigned studies, maintaining full responsibility for operational execution from project set-up through to delivery.
• Hold full project-level decision-making authority, including management of scope, timelines, and delivery risks.
• Escalate resourcing constraints or significant capacity challenges to the Head of US Field Operations as required.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex delivery issues and client concerns.

Hands-on Project Management Responsibilities

• Oversee the smooth running of fieldwork management, coordinating with internal teams and external suppliers.
• Ensure the successful handover of project deliverables to research teams, including:
• Coordination of Data Processing (DP) work and deliverables for quantitative projects, in line with provided specifications and templates.
• Coordination of qualitative deliverables, including transcripts and/or recordings (notes, video, and audio files), as required.
• Own, coordinate, and maintain project timelines, working closely with internal research teams, clients, and suppliers.
• Take ownership of coordinating project team meetings, including scheduling and facilitation.
• Hold responsibility for Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Event reporting, ensuring compliance with internal and regulatory standards.
• Coordinate client and supplier Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Manage client and supplier invoicing, including PO number tracking, invoice coordination, and liaison with the Finance team.

Team Leadership & Line Management

• Line manage a team of RP Project Managers and Senior Project Managers.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and development support to strengthen project management capability and consistency of output.
• Support professional development and performance management of RP PMs.

Client Engagement

• Engage directly with clients on escalations, delivery challenges, and complex projects.
• Act as a senior point of contact for project delivery matters when required.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to support strong, long-term client relationships.

RP & STEM Alignment within Insights

• Work closely with the Head of US Field Operations to build a strong understanding of RP and STEM as distinct businesses.
• Support the alignment and clarification of project management roles and responsibilities across RP and STEM within Insights.
• Contribute to discussions on how project management capabilities and expectations can be enhanced and aligned over time, while recognizing existing team processes.
• Act as a bridge between RP project management and the wider Insights Field Operations organization.

Global Collaboration

• Collaborate with Associate Project Directors in the UK and APAC to support alignment of RP project management approaches globally.
• Share best practices and support consistent quality of project output across geographies.
• Contribute to global discussions on project management standards and ways of working for RP within Insights.

About You...

Your skills and experience:

• More than 7 years of experience in market research project management (qualitative and/or quantitative research)
• Experience managing healthcare market research projects
• Significant experience with team management (including line management and training of a team of junior Project Managers)
• Established relationships with fieldwork agency suppliers
• Strong project management skills (adhering to agreed timelines, troubleshooting and communication with internal and external stakeholders)
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and make independent delivery decisions.
• Experience handling client escalations and operating confidently in senior client environments.
• Comfortable working across teams and geographies and contributing to organizational alignment efforts.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to balance delivery with people leadership.

Ideal profile:

• You are proactive, dedicated and enthusiastic, with a 'can do' attitude and approach
• You demonstrate commercial and analytical capabilities
• You demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, as well as strengths in organization and prioritization
• You demonstrate a track record of identifying operational efficiencies
• You are a collaborative team player who works well with colleagues
• You communicate ideas and issues in an effective, straightforward fashion
• You are highly motivated and want to seize opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career

Life at Research Partnership:

We love what we do and continuously strive for innovation and creativity. We believe everyone should continuously be learning and provide:

• A comprehensive training and development program for all staff, from entry level apprentice to senior management
• A relaxed and friendly working environment
• Social events - including a summer day out and end-of-year party, along with regular social events after office hours

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Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! Our company is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role, but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others.