Research Manager, EMEA (Fixed Term Contract - 12 Months)

About the Role & Team 
 

A research role with responsibility for leading managing and delivering consumer insight projects across The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) EMEA & UK. 

This role supports the Brand & Franchise Marketing function in developing audience-led strategies across the enterprise for priority brands and franchises and helps shape the One Disney brand and franchise strategies. The role requires a Research Manager with a strategic mindset to help Enterprise marketing teams drive sustainable audience growth and deepen fan engagement. This role has EMEA responsibilities meaning being aware of activity across the region, consulting with local and global teams and driving best practice. 

The role will optimise multiple sources of TWDC audience, brand and franchise data, providing an EMEA perspective and heavily utilising outputs from globally led studies such as Brand Equity, Consumer Spend, Character Strength as well as Franchise Financials, EMEA cross line of business sources such as Disney+ Looker, revenue and social sentiment.

This role will leverage excellent communication and analytical skills, combined with strong project management expertise and the ability to collaborate across multiple teams, to inform audience, brand and franchise research.

This role will be based in our London Hammersmith office, 4 days a week, with either a Monday or Friday working from home. 

You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

What You Will Do 

• Delivery of actionable & strategic insights – Inform and support on strategic planning for the business; draw insightful conclusions from large volumes of content, identifying trends and patterns, using either a single source of data or multiple sources to create cross-referenced conclusions.

• Quantitative research expertise – Lead the day-to-day management of complex multi-market quantitative tracking and ad-hoc studies, managing quality and effectiveness across all stages from screener / survey design to creating decks & presenting debriefs. Through a strong understanding of the business and its audiences, identify knowledge gaps, and recommend research initiatives that can fill those gaps to meet business needs.

• Audience Expertise – Build a deep knowledge and expertise of priority audiences, particularly Gen Alpha, via cross platform franchise onboarding that drives this key audience’s lifelong emotional bond with Disney. Utilise different sources of proprietary research and external sources (e.g. Brand Equity, Consumer Spend, Audience Leisure Time, Social Listening, Disney+ Looker data, GWI and The Insights Family) to create narrative-led, visual PowerPoint decks & inform holistic audience plans across platforms, content and partnerships.

• Commercial and Ad-hoc requests – Share responsibility for commercial and ad-hoc insight requests across the business, working alongside the apprentices. Provide compelling arguments and proof points to support partner relationships.

• Stakeholder partnership and collaboration – Partner closely with the broader enterprise-wide marketing team, both centrally and locally, and with the global Brand Insights & Analytics team to disseminate insights and strategic recommendations across the business ensuring understanding is reflective of specific business challenges and opportunities. Meet weekly with US-based Global Brand Insights & Analytics team.

• Team management – Nurturing and developing junior talent within the team to elicit strong performance and contribution.

• Stay updated on industry trends and emerging approaches in research, including data access and visualization (e.g. dashboards).

• Support the Senior Manager on ad-hoc strategic projects, including developing agency briefs, commissioning research and creating compelling debrief materials for stakeholders.

Required Qualifications & Skills  

• Proven experience using analytical and market research techniques, with strong expertise in quantitative tracking, including the preparation and management of complex multi-market tracking and ad-hoc studies, ensuring quality and effectiveness across all stages, from questionnaire design and scripting, through to the analysis of results and presentation writing.
• Practical knowledge of research and analytics tools such as Survey Reporter, SPSS, GWI, TGI, Q and Qualtrics.
• Ability to translate data into clear, actionable recommendations utilizing multiple sources of data to inform a clear narrative.
• Excellent numerical, analytical and research capability, with outstanding attention to detail.
• Strong PowerPoint and Excel proficiency.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong project management experience and the ability to manage a large workload with effective time and workload management.
• Team coaching and development - ability to manage and motivate junior members of the team to deliver consistent high-quality work.
• Confidence in presenting strategic, insight-led narratives to senior stakeholders.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills across multiple functions, peers, senior management and third-party providers.

The Perks  

• 25 days annual leave 
• Private medical insurance & dental care 
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free 
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing 
• Excellent parental and guardian leave 
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney Mosaic, Disney PRIDE, our disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST. 

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.  

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.