Research Manager, Sales Force Activation (FMCG)

Research Manager, Sales Force Activation (FMCG) About NielsenIQ Sales Force Activation NielsenIQ's Sales Force Activation solutions are part of the Analytics portfolio, helping clients expand and optimize channel distribution and execute their Perfect Store strategy. Through customized research and analytics solutions, we support clients in making informed business decisions that drive sales effectiveness, retail execution, and market growth. This role offers the opportunity to work across diverse FMCG categories while partnering with commercial, operations, and client teams to deliver high-impact research initiatives. Position Summary The Research Manager, Sales Force Activation is responsible for managing end-to-end custom research projects, ensuring timely delivery, high-quality outputs, and actionable business insights for clients. This role requires a strong combination of research expertise, project management capability, stakeholder management, and analytical skills. The successful candidate will lead multiple concurrent projects, coordinate cross-functional teams, manage project risks and timelines, and translate business challenges into effective research solutions. The role also serves as a key liaison between clients, commercial teams, operations teams, and external partners to ensure successful project execution and client satisfaction.   Key Responsibilities Project Management Lead end-to-end project management of Sales Force Activation research studies from project initiation through delivery. Develop detailed project plans, timelines, milestones, resource requirements, and communication plans. Manage multiple concurrent projects while ensuring adherence to scope, timelines, quality standards, and budget expectations. Proactively identify project risks, dependencies, and potential issues, implementing mitigation plans where necessary. Ensure all project deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule. Facilitate project status meetings and provide regular updates to stakeholders regarding project progress, risks, and next steps. Drive project governance and ensure compliance with internal processes, quality standards, and best practices. Research Design & Execution Collaborate with Sales and client stakeholders to understand business questions and convert them into effective research solutions. Design and manage research methodologies, questionnaires, sampling frameworks, and data collection requirements. Oversee fieldwork execution in collaboration with Operations teams and external partners. Ensure data integrity, methodological rigor, and adherence to research standards throughout the project lifecycle. Maintain comprehensive knowledge of research methodologies, tools, and industry best practices. Analysis & Insight Generation Analyze research findings and synthesize insights into compelling business recommendations. Integrate multiple data sources to provide deeper and more actionable client insights. Develop reports, dashboards, data visualizations, and presentations tailored to client needs. Translate complex data into clear business implications and strategic recommendations. Identify opportunities to enhance the value of research outputs and support client decision-making. Stakeholder & Client Management Serve as the primary point of contact for project-related communications. Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, clients, and third-party vendors. Manage stakeholder expectations throughout the project lifecycle. Present research findings and recommendations confidently to client decision-makers and senior stakeholders. Partner closely with commercial teams to support client retention and business growth opportunities. Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement Perform rigorous quality checks on questionnaires, datasets, analyses, reports, dashboards, and deliverables. Ensure all outputs align with client objectives, methodological standards, and business requirements. Continuou