Senior Account Director (Research) - EMEA focus

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Senior Account Director - EMEA focus

Research Division

Permanent, full-time, London

About the Group

Panterra is a global strategic advisory firm. Over the last 25 years, we have grown from boutique strategic communications and research firms into a leading international consultancy. We advise governments, embassies, corporations, and individuals on a wide range of complex policy and communications issues. Our work is typically at the nexus of the worlds of politics, business, and the media.

Our mission is to participate in - and positively impact - the great debates of our age, including (but not limited to) geopolitical crises, election campaigns, high-value litigation cases, international events, and public diplomacy initiatives. In all our work we are guided by our core values of honesty, integrity, ambition, and accountability. We are not just problem-solvers; we are pioneers who lead the way in finding unique, impactful solutions to the challenges faced by our clients.

About our division - Panterra Research

Panterra Research, formerly ClearPath Strategies, provides research-driven strategy to leaders around the world. Our mission is to promote progressive forces who strive to make life better for more people. We help good people do great things, and we have fun doing it.

Panterra Research has a long track record of implementing strategic public opinion research globally. Our client portfolio includes diverse technology clients from Silicon Valley, non-profit advocacy clients (focused on environmental sustainability, civil rights, and education, among others), and international political leaders in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

The Opportunity

We are hiring a Senior Account Director to lead our Research presence in London, with a primary focus on owning, developing, and leading senior client relationships across the EMEA region. This is a client-first, leadership role in which you will act as a trusted advisor to clients-independently leading engagements, shaping the strategic narrative from research, and guiding clients toward clear, actionable decisions. You will be responsible for defining "the story" we are telling, aligning internal teams around that narrative, and confidently delivering and selling it to senior stakeholders. Alongside client leadership, you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of mixed-methods research, ensuring work is insight-led, strategically sharp, and executed to a high standard. You will work closely with US-based research teams to scope, manage, and deliver projects seamlessly across time zones. This role requires strong awareness of geopolitical and macroeconomic dynamics across EMEA-including international relations, climate, economic trends, development, and emerging technologies-and the ability to translate these into compelling, client-ready insights.

Key responsibilities

Client leadership

• Own and lead senior client relationships across multiple accounts, acting as a trusted advisor.
• Provide strategic interpretation of data and advise on implications and next steps.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior client stakeholders.
• Identify and grow opportunities within existing accounts.
• Lead proposal development and contribute to business development.

Project and Research Leadership

• Lead and oversee quantitative and qualitative research projects.
• Draft and finalize surveys, screening questionnaires, and qualitative guides.
• Decide on research design, sampling, and quotas.
• Manage vendors, timelines, and in-field progress.
• Attend and run in-person qualitative fieldwork when needed (focus groups, IDIs, qualboards).
• Drive decisions on weighting and data quality on most accounts.
• Lead analysis, write memos, and prepare PowerPoint and Google Slides deliverables.
• Set, track, and report against project budgets.
• Manage and delegate day-to-day work to Research Consultants (analysts).
• Facilitate cross division engagement between Research and Advisory/Create services.

Team & organizational leadership

• Mentor and develop Account Directors and Consultants (analysts).
• Help build and refine company processes and best practices.
• Contribute to resourcing decisions and operational improvements.
• Model an open, collaborative, inclusive, and accountable culture.
• Plan workstreams proactively to account for time zone differences and avoid delays.

Skills & experience

Client & Strategic Leadership

• Demonstrated experience owning and growing senior client relationships.
• Proven ability to act as a trusted advisor and lead engagements independently.
• Strong commercial instinct, with experience identifying and converting growth opportunities.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, compelling strategic narratives.

Organization

• Self-starter with ability to operate independently and across time zones.
• Strong project management and attention to detail.
• Comfortable juggling multiple projects at different life-cycle stages.
• Willing and able to travel internationally.

Communication

• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Comfortable presenting to senior clients and internal leaders.
• Ability to translate data into clear, strategic recommendations.

Technical

• Minimum 6+ years professional experience in quantitative and qualitative research.
• Minimum 3+ years managing client relationships and senior-level deliverables.
• Deep familiarity with quantitative public opinion methods (online panels, live phone, face-to-face).
• Deep familiarity with qualitative methods (IDIs, focus groups, qualboards), including in-person execution.
• Experience with weighting, driver analysis, and turning results into strategy.
• Experience writing proposals and business-grade reports.
• Proficient with MS Office (PowerPoint) and Google Slides.

What success looks like

• Acts as a trusted client lead in EMEA.
• Independently leads client engagements from scoping through delivery.
• Successfully grows accounts and contributes to new business.
• Effectively speaks to Research services with a variety of clients across contexts.
• Keeps US-based teams aligned and moving despite time zone differences
• Delivers research that is clearly tied to client strategy and decision-making
• Supports integration between Advisory (London-based) and Research (US-based) teams

What we offer

Panterra offers a generous compensation package which includes competitive remuneration, discretionary bonuses, a companywide profit-sharing scheme, pension, private medical insurance and 25 days holiday per annum, increasing with long service. We operate a hybrid working policy and are proud to offer enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave.

We are a dynamic, diverse, and fast-growing company which believes in supporting our team members both professionally and personally. Together with our teams across Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we have an Associate network of global leaders and experts in their fields who employees have the chance to work with and learn from.

Panterra has a friendly company culture with regular social events and a flexible working environment. We actively encourage employees to travel between our different offices and spend time getting to know colleagues in each country, as well as the cultures within which they operate. We have a formalised secondment scheme in place and due to the international nature of our clients, opportunities to travel to exciting places are regularly available.

Moreover, we give all our employees a high degree of autonomy and responsibility early on in their careers, accelerating their progression to the benefit of both the individual and the company. This is especially important because the pace of the work is often fast, in line with the critical issues and events we are involved in. We are a privately-owned business, and our strength is in our people.

Our CSR Commitment

At Panterra, we pride ourselves on not only delivering exceptional strategic advice but doing so with a deep sense of responsibility. We value giving back by striving to contribute to the betterment of society and a sustainable future. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact beyond business success. It is rooted in two main pillars: purpose-oriented projects and environmental responsibility. Panterra actively invests in the communities it serves through pro-bono projects which leverage the company's skills and networks. In addition, Panterra is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact. By offsetting our carbon footprint and implementing sustainable practices such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and promoting eco-friendly transportation, we ensure that our operations are aligned with a greener future.

To Apply

As part of your application, please submit your CV introducing yourself, and outlining your interest in this position. Please also highlight any relevant qualifications and/or experience, and why these make you suitable for the role. Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to respond to all applicants.

We value diversity and aim for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society. Our recruitment process is competency based and no applicant will be discriminated against regardless of their age, colour, disability, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, race, religion or belief and/or sexual orientation.

Thank you for your time and application.