Head of Research , Asia-Pacific Hybrid

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead and manage the Asia-Pacific research team, including four direct reports.
  • Ensure appropriate resourcing to meet core database cycles, half-year updates, and strategic study timelines.
  • Recruit, onboard, and train new researchers where required.
  • Contribute to global research strategy and planning sessions as part of the research leadership team.
• Research & Data Quality
  • Oversee data quality and reporting standards across the AP region.
  • Personally lead research for Australia and New Zealand, ensuring benchmark-quality analysis.
  • Compile the Australia component of IWSR’s Strategic Study Series (including Ecommerce, No/Low Alcohol, and Ready-to-Drink studies).
  • Ensure timely and accurate delivery of all regional research outputs.
• Client & Commercial Collaboration
  • Serve as the escalation point for client research queries within AP.
  • Support the AP Commercial Director and Sales team in client engagements, following established sales–research protocols.
  • Attend key client meetings and industry events as required.
  • Work closely with the Consulting team to allocate research resources for AP projects and ensure timely delivery.
  • Identify and coordinate freelance research resources where needed.
• Thought Leadership
  • Act as a subject matter expert for the AP region.
  • Deliver internal and external presentations.
  • Serve as a regional spokesperson for media and PR activities, where required.

• Minimum 8 years of research and analytical experience within beverage alcohol, FMCG, consulting, or business information environments.
• Minimum 3 years of people management experience.
• Strong data analysis and insight generation capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (required for business communication with regional and global stakeholders).
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Confident in client-facing situations and presentation environments.