Associate Director-Custom Healthcare

Are you an experienced healthcare researcher with a passion for a range of therapy areas? Do you enjoy turning complex data into strategic client recommendations while leading and developing high-performing teams? We are looking for an experienced Associate Director to shape the future of healthcare insights with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical organisations. 

About the Role

Our Custom Healthcare team is experiencing strong growth, and we are looking for an experienced Associate Director to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical clients, therapeutic areas and cancer indications, delivering high-impact research that informs critical business and patient-centred decisions.

As an Associate Director, you will lead the design and delivery of complex ad hoc and continuous research programmes, partnering closely with clients to understand their challenges and uncover meaningful insights. You will play a key role in building trusted client relationships, developing new business opportunities, and contributing to the continued growth of the team.

Alongside managing large-scale multi-country studies, you will coach and develop junior researchers, champion innovation in research approaches, and help ensure Ipsos remains at the forefront of healthcare insight and consulting.

About You

Essential 

• Significant experience in quantitative and or qualitative healthcare primary market research
• Strong expertise in research design, questionnaire development, sampling and data analysis.
• Proven experience leading complex multi-country research programmes.
• Ability to build client relationships easily to retain and grow accounts within Healthcare
• Ability to translate data into clear, actionable and commercially relevant insights.
• Strong client relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing project budgets and ensuring profitable delivery.
• Previous experience coaching, mentoring and developing team members.
• Proficiency in AI use and adoption to enhance day-to-day research activities and efficiencies.

Desirable Skills

• Experience working across multiple indications and treatment landscapes.
• Knowledge of both ad hoc and continuous research programmes.
• Experience contributing to successful business development proposals and pitches.
• Familiarity with statistical and analytical tools such as SPSS, R or similar platforms.
• Experience using emerging technologies and AI-enabled research solutions to drive innovation.

Behaviours

• Client First: Builds trusted partnerships and delivers exceptional client experiences.
• Curious: Continuously seeks new perspectives, learning opportunities and innovative solutions.
• Inclusive: Collaborates effectively and values diverse viewpoints.
• Entrepreneurial: Identifies opportunities for growth and drives commercial success.
• Accountable: Takes ownership for delivering high-quality outcomes.
• Courageous: Challenges thinking constructively and embraces change with confidence.
• A passion and curiosity for healthcare
• You are commercially minded and able to identify and drive opportunities for revenue generation
• You have a proactive and solutions-oriented approach.
• Analytic thinking
• Resilience, flexibility and agility
• Leadership and social influence
• Motivation and self-awareness
• Empathy and active listening
• Curiosity and lifelong learning
• Talent management
• Service orientation and customer service

Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities.

We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week. We appreciate you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications - please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer.  We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

Your application will be reviewed by someone from our Talent Team who will be in touch either way to let you know the outcome.

Ready to have an impact? Apply now!