Research Executive

Message House is growing! We are looking for talented, committed and ambitious individuals to join us as Research Executives.

Message House is an award-winning consultancy that solves complex problems to make communications better. We are experts in message testing and narrative development and pride ourselves in turning smart insights into actionable advice, whether it’s helping clients to develop a new campaign, to understand their brand and audiences better, or to respond effectively to a reputation challenge in the media.

Message House has recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, during which time our team has conducted research across 35 countries using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including focus groups, surveys and in-depth interviews. From policy elites to parents in favelas, we pride ourselves on our ability to speak with diverse and hard-to-reach audiences. Past clients include many familiar brands such as Sky, LEGO Foundation, Microsoft and the National Trust. 

Research Executive 

Our Research Executive role exposes those new to research to the entire process - from brief to debrief. From the start, you will work on client projects, supporting your team members in research development, fieldwork and analysis, while learning more about how effective research and communications work.

Given the variety of research tools we use at Message House, the role of a Research Executive can vary quite considerably. For example, in recent months, Research Executives have:

• Conducted 1-2-1 interviews to help understand what employees want from work
• Helped set up, run and analyse focus groups to better understand consumers’ attitudes towards the energy transition, including drafting discussion guides, screening for ideal respondents and observing the sessions
• Analysed survey data to provide audience insights for a major consumer brand
• Drafted debrief notes and PowerPoint decks, summarising our key findings for clients

This is an exciting role for people interested in a career in market research and brand and corporate communications.  You will learn quickly, trained and supported by a close-knit and collaborative team, and work directly with the senior leadership, providing you with excellent opportunities to develop new skills.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for people who are passionate, hard-working, and self-motivated. A love of problem-solving and asking ‘what if’ is essential! 

At Message House, we never settle for ‘good enough’ – we deliver the highest quality of work in an often fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will therefore need a willingness to work flexibly and adapt quickly, whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail.

You need to be numerate and comfortable dealing with complex projects and both quantitative and qualitative data sources, supported by strong IT skills in data handling and analysis as well as communication and presentation of findings e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. 

We don’t expect candidates to know everything about research, although it would be an advantage if you had a strong degree with some experience working in market research (or a related field) and have an interest in how communications work. Project management experience is also useful. Full training and mentoring will be given, however we do expect you to be a self-starter and demonstrate proactivity in your learning.

What we can offer you

We can offer you a varied and challenging role in a growing company with opportunities for quick progression. Since Message House began in 2013, we have gone from 1 person to a team of over 15, and this role will provide the chance to be part of our continued development as we look to grow the business further. Progression within the company is quick and we have members of the team who have progressed from Research Executive to being a Director, managing people and leading client accounts.

At Message House, we are people first. We are a friendly and thoughtful group of individuals. We regularly organise social activities as a team, whether it be our relaxed weekly tea and cake get togethers, Christmas and summer parties, or our monthly social activities - there will be ample opportunity to get to know everyone and quickly become a fully-fledged member of the team. 

The salary on offer is between £24,000 - £26,000 (depending on experience) plus a wide range of additional benefits:

• Annual leave of 22 paid days leave, in addition to bank holidays and paid time off between Christmas and New Year (rising to 23 paid days after 2 years and 25 days after 5 years)
• A bonus paid day off for your birthday
• Automatic entry to the company bonus scheme
• A pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution
• Significant training and opportunities for development and progression
• Twice yearly volunteering days
• Regular social activities
• Interest-free annual rail ticket loan

The role is based in our Berkhamsted office (HP4) and can sometimes require national and international travel. 

Our office is an 8-minute walk from Berkhamsted station, which is on the Milton Keynes Central – London Euston Northwestern train line. Currently we are all working from the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and working from home on Wednesday and Friday.  The ability to work from our office is essential. 

The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in the UK.

Interested?

You can find out more at www.message-house.co.uk and https://www.linkedin.com/company/message-house/ 

If you’d like to apply, please send a 1-page covering letter, covering the following points, together with a CV to recruitment@message-house.co.uk.

Your relevant experience and skills for this role

Your interest in working in research and communications

Your interest in working for Message House specifically

Closing date for applications is 2nd May 2024. Initial interviews will be conducted over the phone or Teams with final interviews in person at our office in Berkhamsted. The start date is flexible for the right candidate(s).