Senior Insight & Strategy Consultant and Insight Research Lead

About The Role

CDP is an end-to-end innovation partner with over 27 years’ history of successfully developing new products and services for the world’s biggest brands and organisations through evidence-based innovation.

We are now looking for an experienced and proactive Insight Research Lead to enhance our user insight services by excelling in project leadership, delivery, and research proposition development.

As the Insight Research Lead, you’ll be responsible for guiding daily operations in Insight Research within CDP’s broader Insight & Strategy (I&S) Capability Group.

Your role will involve integrating your research experience into the team and fostering collaboration across capabilities and sectors to develop and implement valuable, commercially sustainable I&S services for our clients.

In a business development capacity, you’ll regularly interact with internal stakeholders, such as sales sector leaders, to identify needs for both existing and new services. You’ll also participate in sales calls to represent the complete I&S capability set, crafting and presenting persuasive sales proposals.

Operationally, you’ll collaborate closely with CDP’s Head of Human Factors to optimise the project utility and utilisation of our multifunctional User Research lab.

Your responsibilities will extend to identifying training aligned with I&S service offerings and sector needs. Over time, you’ll have the opportunity to provide formal coaching and oversee the career and professional development of junior members in the I&S team.

The longer-term vision for this role is to evolve and curate an Insight Research service that seamlessly integrates with adjacent sub-capabilities (e.g., Innovation Strategy, Growth Strategy) and sector-specific expertise, offering a comprehensive, efficient package within I&S.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A first or further degree in design, physical or social sciences, or engineering; other degrees considered based on commercial experience.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to engage effectively with senior internal stakeholders and client teams.
• Experience in a dynamic, multidisciplinary agency environment within market research.
• Proven ability to translate business needs into insight research proposals, develop time and budget plans, and manage third-party contracts.
• Deep expertise in designing and implementing research programs using established and emerging qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Track record of translating research evidence for product, innovation, and business strategy.
• Experience in designing and facilitating creative or explorative workshops with diverse client and internal teams.
• Specific knowledge in at least one (preferably more) of CDP’s sales sectors across Consumer and Healthcare markets
• Familiarity with GDPR and adherence to research industry best practices, including MRS guidelines.
• Track record of developing, coaching, and managing teams, including junior members.
• Willingness to travel globally for research assignments and industry events, usually for up to one week, occasionally for up two weeks.

About Us

Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) is an end-to-end innovation partner, propelling global brands and ambitious start-ups to success. We build breakthrough products and services – from insight to ideas, prototypes to production – bringing innovation to life. Our teams are multi-disciplinary, uniting scientific rigor, design ingenuity, and engineering excellence for consumer, healthcare, and industrial clients. People-centred, deeply collaborative, and – above all – expert, we’re uniquely positioned to shape the future for consumers, patients, and industry. Even our ownership model is innovative: We’re 100% owned by our employees, ensuring an open culture and a total commitment to our projects’ success. As part of our benefits package we offer:

• flexible working
• a discretionary bonus
• excellent learning and development opportunities
• a 12% non-contributory pension
• private healthcare
• share incentive plan
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Free onsite lunch, snacks, and drinks