Qualitative Researcher – 12 Month Fixed-Term role

About the roleWe’re looking for an experienced qualitative consumer researcher to join Tangible for a 12-month fixed-term role, based at our office on Deansgate in the heart of Manchester.Please note: this is a consumer/brand research role rather than a UX or user research role.This is a hands-on role in a small, busy and friendly consultancy. You’ll be involved in all parts of the research process – from thinking through the best approach to answer a client’s question, to moderating research, analysing what you hear and turning it into clear, commercially useful recommendations.You’ll work across a fascinating mix of consumer and brand challenges, for clients ranging from established household names to ambitious challenger brands. No two projects are quite the same, and we’re looking for someone who enjoys that variety.What you’ll be doingDesigning and delivering qualitative research, including interviews, focus groups and other creative approaches.Moderating research confidently and getting beyond the obvious to understand what people really think, feel and do.Taking ownership of projects from initial brief and proposal through to fieldwork, analysis and final presentation.Working closely with clients to understand the business question behind the research and make sure we answer the question that really matters.Making sense of qualitative and wider research data, identifying the stories and implications within it - including working closely with the quantitative team on mixed methodology projects.Turning findings into clear, engaging narratives and practical recommendations that clients can actually use.Presenting your thinking and findings to clients with confidence and clarity.Getting involved in a broad range of projects across categories including food and drink, health and beauty, retail, leisure, hospitality, DIY and household, and B2B.Travelling for fieldwork and client meetings when needed, including occasional overseas travel.About youYou’ll have around 3–5+ years’ experience in qualitative consumer research, either agency or client-side, with a good understanding of brands and consumer markets.Most importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys both the research and the people side of the job. You’ll be comfortable leading a focus group, but equally happy getting stuck into a client brief, working out what we should ask, making sense of the answers and figuring out what they mean for the brand.You’ll also be comfortable working in a small team. At Tangible, everyone gets involved, everyone has a voice and everyone takes responsibility for doing a good job. We’re looking for someone who will contribute to that culture.We’re particularly looking for someone who is:Curious – genuinely interested in people, brands and why consumers behave the way they do.Insightful – able to see beyond what people say and identify the underlying motivations, tensions and opportunities.Commercially minded – able to connect consumer understanding to the decisions a brand needs to make.Creative – willing to try different approaches and find interesting ways to get to better answers.A great moderator – naturally engaging, perceptive and able to build rapport while knowing when to probe further.A strong communicator – able to make complicated things feel simple, whether you’re talking to a respondent, writing a report or presenting to a client.Organised and accountable – able to keep projects moving at pace and take ownership of the detail as well as the bigger picture.A good team player – positive, collaborative and someone people genuinely enjoy working with.About TangibleTangible is an independent consumer research and brand strategy consultancy. We’ve been around since 2000, and have built a reputation for combining rigorous research with clear, commercially useful thinking.We’re a small team, which means you’ll have the opportunity to get involved in a wide variety of work and work closely with both clients and colleagues. We don’t believe in research for research’s sake – we want to understand what’s really going on with consumers and turn that understanding into something that helps brands make better decisions.Our work spans food and drink, health and beauty, DIY and household, leisure, hospitality, retail and B2B. We work with a mix of major brands, growing businesses and more entrepreneurial clients, so the challenges we tackle are constantly changing.What we offerInteresting work: Exposure to a broad range of categories, clients, research challenges and approaches from day one.Real responsibility: You’ll have ownership of your projects and the opportunity to make a genuine contribution.A great team: We’re small, collaborative and supportive, and believe work should be enjoyable as well as rewarding.Development: Plenty of opportunity to learn, take on new challenges and develop your skills across research, strategy, client management and presentation.Hybrid working: We currently work from our Deansgate office two days a week, with flexibility to work from home on the other days.Competitive salaryInterested?If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your CV and a covering letter introducing yourself to our MD, Steph Almond, at steph@tangiblebranding.com.Closing date: 24th September 2026We only consider direct applications – no agencies please.