Head of Research & Strategy - Maternity Cover beginning August 2024 for 24 month

Introducing Zinc Network

Zinc Network is dedicated to meaningful, measurable change and conceptualizes and creates programmes, interventions, and strategic communications campaigns around some of the world’s most complex problems – from disinformation to extremism, media capture to authoritarianism.

We are headquartered in London with offices in Washington, D.C., Tbilisi, and Warsaw with 80+ team members from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Zinc works with a broad range of governmental, NGO, and private sector clients, including the UK Home Office (HO); the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the U.S. Department of State (DOS); UN agencies and missions; and foundations.

Outline of the job

Zinc is looking for a Head of Research & Strategy who will:

·       Manage and quality assure the work of the Research Team and the Strategy Team.

1)    The Research Team applies both quantitative (e.g., surveys, segmentations) and qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups) to Zinc’s work. The Research Team aims to deliver concise and compelling audience-centred insights that inform programmes and campaigns.

2)    The Strategy Team is responsible for applying insights to develop effective interventions.  This includes leading integrative campaign planning and developing briefs, workshops, analysis documents, and information supporting the business’s growth. The Strategy Team aims to apply behaviour change, human-centred design, and strategic thinking to the work of the business. 

·       Upskill the Research and Strategy Teams, with a specific focus on applying a diverse range of qualitative research methods to Zinc’s work and integrating best practice in behavioural science, human centred design and integrated campaigning.

·       Work with the Operations Team to allocate the team staff to projects/assignments.

·       Serve as an assigned researcher and/or strategist to a small portfolio of Zinc projects, designing and developing research, leading creative briefs, authoring contextual assessments, and participating in bid development processes.

·       Support Zinc’s business development by helping the strategy team develop compelling and winning proposals and supporting project managers to grow existing accounts.

·       Help build Zinc expertise and reputation in key areas such as information integrity, conflict prevention, media development and strategic communications

The individual will serve as an important member of Zinc’s Senior Management Team (SMT), responsible for working with other members of SMT to establish the strategic approaches used on the business’s programmes. They will report to the

Director, Research, Strategy, and Learning.

What you’ll be doing…

Technical leadership and guidance

·       Oversee and evolve the research and strategy offerings, which includes robust quantitative and qualitative methods; participatory and experimental approaches; strategic guidance; campaign, research, and digital briefing and strategy; and clear and concise analysis. 

·       Ensure our research is actionable across the business, from our Strategy and MEL Teams to Digital Marketing and Production.

·       Codify our research offering, developing clear ‘products’ that are consistent in design and ambition across projects.

·       Ensure every project has an effective and achievable strategy, underpinned by insights, and articulated in a theory of change with measurable outcomes

·       Work across the business to ensure Zinc’s research and strategy supports our projects and technical practices.

·       Provide project teams and the wider Senior Management Team with up-to-date analysis on industry trends and emerging methodologies to continuously improve Zinc’s work.

Team management

·       Lead the Research and Strategy Teams, providing guidance, mentoring, and support to ensure their work aligns with the organisation’s goals and objectives.

·       Identify areas for improvement and training within the team and ensure team members progress and grow during their time with Zinc.

·       Provide input into, and final approval for methodologies, including signing off questionnaires, recruitment screeners, discussion guides, creative briefs, analysis documents, etc.

·       Identify and allocate team resources to projects and proposals.

·       Implement Zinc’s strategic vision for research and strategy.

Business development

·       Work with teams across the business to develop concept notes and proposals.

·       Analyse project requirements and design research approaches and strategies that align with the project’s goals and objectives.

·       Identify opportunities for research to help with business development, identifying new areas for our work or helping open new opportunities through sharing data and insight.

Client and partner engagement

Represent Zinc at high-level meetings with clients and project partners.

What we need from you…

·       At least 10 years’ combined experience in research and strategy, including with experience in behavioural science, human-centred design (HCD), and campaigning.

·       The ability to author clear and compelling short- and long-form documents and analyses that showcase logical thinking.

·       Experience at an agency focusing on behavior change campaigns/ social marketing.

·       A strong understanding of different research methodologies (e.g., segmentations, interviews, card sorting, A/B testing) and change techniques (e.g., systems mapping, behavioural personas, journey mapping, etc.) and their application to development programming.

·       The ability to articulate – visually and verbally – the strategy behind a programme, intervention, campaign, and activity.

·       An understanding of experimental design, including how to test different intervention options against one another.

Conditions of Employment

Candidates who receive a job offer will be required to:

-        Disclose any previous disciplinary action against them resulting from a substantiated safeguarding (including any breaches involving trafficking- related activities) or workplace investigation.

-        Undergo background checks including employment verification, sexual offender registry (as available), identity confirmation, and anti-terrorism vetting.

 Area of Selection

We’re committed to hiring a diverse workforce from different professional and cultural backgrounds, and to that end we encourage a variety of people to apply to join our company to represent the diverse range of subjects associated with our projects.