Research Assistant

Job Title: Research Assistant Location: London, UK (Hybrid; 2 days in the office per week) Born from the Stylist brand, Think Stylist is a cultural insight consultancy hiring for a Research Assistant to join our team in our London office on Fleet Street. Think Stylist, part of the DC Thomson media and publishing company, decodes the lives, mindsets and behaviours of modern women, helping brands keep pace with a fast-evolving audience. By blending editorial instinct with real-time data and analysis, we turn cultural understanding into relevance, innovation and growth.  We power insight across Stylist and also partner with external brands and organisations that want to truly understand UK women today. The Research Assistant is a pivotal role in a small, ambitious insight team where your work will directly shape the quality of our thinking, our output, and our commercial success. You’ll sit at the heart of our insight engine, building and nurturing the communities that power our research, spotting emerging cultural signals and helping turn them into meaningful insight for brands. This is a hands-on role drawing from your experience in market research and working with platforms, that will give you real ownership, visibility, and the opportunity to grow into a Research Executive as your skills develop. This role brings together community building, research analysis and delivery. You’ll take ownership of our research communities, ensure high-quality data and engagement, and support across insight projects from design to delivery. You’ll also help us evolve how we use AI tools to track, analyse and surface trends at scale. You’ll play a key role in ensuring our insight doesn’t just inform thinking - but creates real commercial opportunity. We’re a small team doing big, culturally relevant work. You’ll be trusted with real responsibility from day one, supported to grow quickly, and surrounded by people who care about creating insight that genuinely reflects women’s lives - and drives real impact for brands. Key responsibilities include: Community & Panel Management (Core Responsibility) Own and evolve the Think Stylist research panel: Manage onboarding, engagement and retention of panellists Deliver clear, engaging communications (surveys, updates, newsletters) Monitor panel health (demographics, activity, churn) and optimise performance Act as the go-to contact for panellist queries and platform issues (e.g. FlexMR) Continuously improve the panel experience and quality of data Insight Collective (Thinkfluencers) Lead our community of culturally engaged women: Manage relationships and ensure consistent, high-quality participation Review weekly contributions and identify emerging trends Use AI tools alongside manual analysis to track patterns, sentiment and cultural shifts Produce a monthly insight report for the wider business Create short content (e.g. clips, highlight reels) to bring insights to life Coordinate payments, scheduling and community touchpoints Research Delivery & Insight Support Support insight projects across their lifecycle: Script and test surveys and polls Support data analysis, charting and insight development Use AI tools to assist with data synthesis and trend identification Contribute to report creation Help ensure projects run smoothly from setup to delivery AI & Insight Innovation Help evolve how we use AI across our insight work: Support the use of AI tools to analyse community data and surface insights faster Experiment with combining human and AI analysis across qualitative and quantitative data Contribute to more efficient and scalable research workflows Commercial & Growth Support (supporting role) Support the team in translating insight into commercial opportunity where relevant: Conduct background desk research on prospective clients and sectors Support sourcing and organisation of potential leads (e.g. HubSpot) Assist with outreach setup (e.g. sequencing, contact prep) Identify potential commercial opportunities through Thinkfluencer contributions and emerging trends Help ensure insight outputs are captured and used in business development Skills Excellent English communication skills (written and verbal) and organisation skills Applies standard research methods, supports study design, gathers and analyses data Uses data tools and techniques to explore, interpret and present data Plans and conducts user research activities and synthesises findings Produces clear, structured written and visual outputs for insight communication Builds and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders Uses agreed tools, techniques and processes effectively, including research platforms and AI tools Works under general direction and uses discretion in task execution Plans and prioritises own workload to meet deadlines Communicates clearly with stakeholders at working level Applies problem-solving skills to straightforward issues Demonstrates learning agility and adapts to new tools and methods Experience Essential Previous hands-on experience in market research and associated platforms Experience of survey tools, research platforms or community management tools Exposure to qualitative and/or quantitative research environments Interest in cultural trends, media and audience behaviour Awareness of AI tools in research or data environments Desirable Experience in research, panel management, or community platforms Exposure to survey tools or insight work Critical Behaviours for High Performance (Mapped to ‘Behaviours we Value’) Being More Curious Actively seeks patterns, signals and insight from data and communities rather than reporting at surface level Tests assumptions and asks for evidence Experiment with Purpose Uses AI and new tools to improve insight generation and efficiency Runs small, controlled tests to improve panel engagement and research methods Owning the Outcomes Takes responsibility for panel performance, data quality and delivery standards Tracks performance metrics and takes corrective action without prompt Being More Collaborative Shares insight, tools and learning across projects and teams Works effectively with commercial, editorial and data teams to maximise impact To apply for this role, please follow our online application process and submit a CV and cover letter. Closing date for applications: 22nd July at 12:00noon