Research Director

Location(s): London, Amsterdam, or Madrid (with flexibility)

Reports to: VP, Data & Analytics

Visa Sponsorship: Location dependant

A high-growth, customer-facing digital business is redefining its industry through data-driven innovation, modern design practices, and world-class customer experience. As part of this transformation, Good Maven are supporting to hire a Research Director to build and lead a new, high-impact Product and Market Research function.

This is a unique opportunity to join a tech-forward environment and build a best-in-class research capability from the ground up. You’ll transform a nascent function into a strategic partner across Product, Design, Marketing, and Data, influencing product direction, marketing strategy, and customer experience.

We’re looking for a hands-on, resilient research leader who can move between strategy, execution, and team-building, and who thrives in complex, fast-paced, and high-stakes environments.

What you’ll do

• Define and lead the vision, strategy, and roadmap for a modern, combined Product & Market Research function.
• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of researchers focused on customer insight and impact.
• Deliver actionable insights through qualitative and quantitative research that shape product and marketing decisions.
• Partner with Product, Design, Data, Engineering, and Marketing to embed the customer voice into strategy and execution.
• Overhaul and elevate a legacy team through hiring, mentorship, and organisational change.
• Establish scalable frameworks, processes, and tools to maximise research effectiveness and influence.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, influencing decisions with evidence-based insight.

What we’re looking for

• A proven research leader with experience building impactful teams in product-led, customer-centric environments.
• Strong expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods, with an ability to influence strategy and execution.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to prioritise, inspire change, and align stakeholders across functions.
• Experience partnering closely with Product, Marketing, and Design teams to deliver customer-centric outcomes.
• Resilient and resourceful: able to navigate legacy systems and inspire transformation.
• Demonstrated success managing managers and/or senior ICs within high-performing teams.
• Skilled in storytelling, data synthesis, and presenting clear, compelling insights to senior leadership.

What will help you succeed

• 10+ years of experience in Research (with exposure to both Product/UX and Market/Marketing Research).
• 5+ years in leadership roles, including management of multi-level teams.
• Experience in regulated, customer-facing industries such as e-commerce, fintech, digital media, entertainment, or gaming.
• Experience in scale-up, transformation, or high-growth environments.
• Track record of hiring, developing, and retaining strong research talent.

Why this opportunity?

• Define and lead a globally impactful function at a pivotal growth stage.
• Shape the future of customer insight, personalisation, and product strategy in a complex, highly regulated industry.
• Collaborate with senior leaders across Product, Design, Engineering, Data, and Marketing.
• Enjoy the autonomy, ownership, and strategic influence of a leadership role in a well-resourced, tech-focused organisation.

If you're excited by the opportunity to build something new, influence at scale, and redefine how research shapes product and customer experience, we’d love to hear from you.