Research and Insights Manager

Location: East Grinstead (mix of office and home working)

Job type: Permanent

Reporting to: Head of Marketing

About the job: The Research and Insights Manager is responsible for leading the Club’s data-driven approach to understanding our members, guests and the wider outdoor leisure market. You will transform complex data into actionable insights that inform the Club’s brand positioning, marketing strategy, product development, ensuring we remain the first choice for outdoor enthusiasts.

Key Tasks/Accountabilities:

Working closely with the Head of Marketing, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Product Owners, and the wider Marketing department, the job holder will spearhead the development and execution of a comprehensive annual research strategy that includes:

• Continuous Experience Evaluation:
  Implement consistent quantitative frameworks to measure member and guest experiences across all Club and Experience Freedom touchpoints. You will track key performance indicators such as Member Sentiment, NPS/Recommendation, and Value for Money (VFM) to pinpoint actionable areas for both product and operational improvement.
• Audience Intelligence & Segmentation:
  Cultivate a deep, shared understanding of our current and prospective audiences. You will analyse evolving profiles, lifestyles, and touring behaviors to identify emerging trends and ensure our segments remain relevant and highly targeted.
• PR & Content Support:
  Synthesise complex data into compelling "insight bites" and powerful statistics to bolster our PR & Communications campaigns, enhancing brand authority, and delivering media engagement.
• Strategic Consultancy:
  Act as an internal subject matter expert and "sounding board," promoting research best practices across the organisation. You will proactively advise colleagues on how data-driven insights can solve specific business challenges and optimise decision-making.
• Product Innovation Support:
  Partner with the Heads of Strategic Product Development to embed research into our strategic product development programmes.
• Digital Experience Optimisation:
  Collaborate with the Head of Digital to drive continuous improvements across our digital ecosystems. You will ensure that User Experience (UX) insights are seamlessly integrated with broader member and non-member feedback for a unified brand experience.
• Internal Stakeholder Consultancy:
  Act as a strategic advisor to the HR Team, designing and executing research initiatives to track and improve staff engagement and employee experience.
• Knowledge Synthesis:
  Work synergistically with data analysts and business intelligence roles across the Club to maximise the "return on shared knowledge." You will bridge the gap between various data sets to provide holistic guidance for senior decision-makers.
• Insight Accessibility:
  Direct the communication of research findings across the Club, maintaining a centralised, searchable "Insight Hub." This ensures stakeholders have immediate access to current customer and market intelligence.
• Market Intelligence Integration:
  Proactively source and synthesise secondary research from external bodies (including Mintel, ONS, Visit England/Visit Britain, and the NCC) to provide context on future trends and the wider macroeconomic landscape.
• Compliance and Ethics:
  Ensure all primary research is conducted in strict accordance with the MRS Code of Conduct, while maintaining rigorous adherence to GDPR, the Data Protection Act, and FCA regulations.
• Agility:
  Execute any additional strategic duties as required by the Head of Marketing to support the evolving needs of the department.

Essential

Skills & Experience Required:

• Experience:
  
  Significant experience in a research, insights, or analytical role, preferably within the membership, travel, outdoor leisure or financial services markets preferable
• Analytical Prowess:
  Proven strong analytical skills in delivering both strategic and tactical qualitative and quantitative research with the ability to interpret member/customer and industry insight to drive business decisions and outcomes.
• Communication:
  Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex findings confidently to…