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Job Title


Research Community Lead


Company : Propellerfish


Location : london, south east england


Created : 2025-07-26


Job Type : Full Time


Job Description

We’re building a community of engaged, thoughtful people from around the world to support qualitative and mixed-methods research projects for global clients. This community helps us get closer to real people faster, more flexibly, and more sustainably, so we can generate rich insight that drives meaningful innovation. This role comes at a pivotal moment. You’ll architect the systems, processes, and relationships behind our growing participant panel. From recruitment and incentives to backend ops and quality control, you’ll define how we manage our community of real people at scale.You won’t be joining an existing insights team. You’ll be pioneering a new research arm within an established consultancy. Working closely with project managers, developers, and leadership to create something operationally tight, scalable, and deeply human.Key ResponsibilitiesArchitect from the ground up: Design and implement community systems; recruitment, onboarding, segmentation, engagement, incentivisation, and quality controlOwn the ops: Lead day-to-day community operations and ensure we deliver high-quality participants for qualitative and co-creation projectsChampion the respondent: Be the internal voice of the participant. Educating teams on what’s realistic, ethical, and effective in recruitmentBuild internal trust: Collaborate with project managers to meet evolving research needs and make internal teams feel supported and confident in deliveryCollaborate with in-house developers: Partner with developers to influence platform features and build tools that make your systems smarter and more scalableShape the future: Lay the groundwork for the future by defining best practices, and scaling operations across marketsImprove incentive systems: Refine how we reward participation to ensure processes are motivating, efficient, and fairStay compliant: Ensure all data handling and recruitment workflows meet GDPR, privacy regulations, and MRS standardsQuality & reporting: Monitor community health metrics, track engagement, and report regularly on key performance indicators.What We’re Looking ForExperience5+ years in community management, or research operationsProven track record of building and managing research communitiesSolid understanding of effective incentivisation models and participant engagementExperience managing data privacy and GDPR complianceFamiliarity with quality assurance and fraud prevention in communities(Bonus) Experience managing or mentoring a junior team member(Bonus) Survey scripting skills (e.g., Qualtrics, Alchemer)SkillsStrong analytical skills—comfortable working with spreadsheets, lists, tags, and segmentation rules for a large part of the dayProcess-driven and methodical, with a knack for system designCreative problem-solver—able to build under constraints and iterate fastStrong communicator—clear on email, collaborative with teammates, and comfortable speaking on cameraAble to interface with developers and translate operational needs into tech requirementsMindset & AttitudePioneer spirit: Excited to build something from scratch, take ownership, and shape what’s nextService mindset: Sees internal teams as clients—responsive, proactive, and people-firstAmbitious & impact-driven: Wants to do excellent work and see it make a differenceHands-on & humble: Happy to roll up your sleeves and solve problems directlyCreative rule-breaker: Practical, resourceful, and unafraid to challenge the status quoOps-first mindset: Genuinely loves the operational craft and understands the value behind-the-scenes work brings to great researchNot secretly a consultant: This is a role for someone who thrives in operations—not looking to pivot into strategy or researchWhy Join Us?Build your legacy: Shape the systems, tools, and team that will define a new research capabilityHigh visibility, low ego: Your work is behind-the-scenes but mission-critical. You’ll have the autonomy to lead, with the support of a collaborative teamSee your impact: In a small, flexible team, your decisions show results fastPlatform for growth: Clear path to grow into a leadership role as the platform scalesCompelling for builders: Ideal for someone coming from a rigid organization who wants the freedom to innovate, fix, and ownSupportive hybrid culture: You’ll work closely with the team in person (London-based) while enjoying flexibility and autonomy day to dayLife at Propellerfish