Senior Researcher | Placemaking & Visitor Economy

Location: Athens, Greece (hybrid, with travel to client destinations in the UK, Ireland and Europe)
Employment type: Full-time, permanent
Reporting to: Director of Strategy & Research
Business unit: Strategy & Research

Who we are
Part consultancy, part agency, TOPOSOPHY works across place strategy and experience design. We are a place strategy and experience consultancy headquartered in Athens with a presence in London, working across Greece, Cyprus, the UK, Ireland and wider Europe.

Our Strategy & Research team works with cities, regions, national bodies, place and destination organisations, cultural institutions and international organisations. We help places define their direction, strengthen their identity and measure what matters. Our published thought leadership sets out how places can measure success beyond growth figures, across economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes.

The role
You will join a small, senior team where research goes straight into decisions about how places develop, how they are experienced and how they welcome visitors. You will design and lead research, turn it into evidence-based strategy, and stand in front of stakeholders to test and present it. Your work will feed into placemaking and city strategies, visitor economy and destination plans, cultural and events strategies, measurement frameworks and our published thought leadership.

You will be based in our Athens office and work mainly on engagements across the UK, Ireland and Europe, alongside colleagues in London and Ireland. You will also support projects in Greece and Cyprus. You will work in English and Greek.

This is a full-time, client-facing role. You will work on several engagements at once. You will also help write proposals for public tenders and frameworks.

Key responsibilities

Research and analysis

• Design and lead quantitative and qualitative research on how places perform and are perceived: resident wellbeing and sentiment, visitor behaviour, cultural participation, local economies, place reputation and policy.
• Analyse the visitor economy and how it connects to local communities, culture, businesses and public space.
• Benchmark cities, regions and place organisations, along with their strategies, governance models and identities.
• Help develop and apply our measurement and impact frameworks, so places can track value across economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
• Set research standards and methods across engagements, and guide colleagues on research design and quality.

Strategy and engagement

• Turn findings into strategic recommendations for placemaking and city strategies, visitor economy and destination plans, cultural and events strategies, and place identity work.
• Design and facilitate consultations with residents, businesses, cultural communities and public bodies, plus workshops and roundtables, both in person and online.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior client teams, boards and public-sector decision-makers.

Writing and communication

• Write strategy documents, research reports, position papers and trend briefings to publication standard.
• Turn complex evidence into clear visuals, presentations and summaries for non-specialist audiences.
• Use AI tools in your research, analysis and writing workflows. Share what works with the wider team, and keep to high standards of verification and source integrity.

Business development

• Contribute research, methodology and written sections to tender responses and framework bids.
• Track policy and funding developments in placemaking, urban development, culture, regeneration and the visitor economy across the UK, Ireland, Greece and the EU that open new opportunities.

• Fluent Greek and excellent written English, at a level where you can produce client-ready documents in English for UK and Irish public-sector clients.
• 10+ years of experience in placemaking, urban, cultural, economic development or visitor economy research, strategy or policy, in a consultancy, public-sector, academic or place organisation setting.
• Advanced research design skills across mixed methods, with confidence working with data.
• Experience facilitating engagement with diverse stakeholders and presenting to senior audiences, in English.
• An understanding of how places are governed, funded and developed in the UK, Ireland or the EU. Knowledge of Greek public-sector structures is an advantage.
• Comfort using AI-assisted tools in research and writing.
• Willingness to travel regularly to the UK, Ireland and other European destinations.
• Experience contributing to public tenders is an advantage.

• Competitive salary and private health insurance
• Work on global projects that impact destinations worldwide
• Career growth and mentorship in a dynamic, collaborative environment
• Flexible work arrangements (remote/hybrid options available)
• Professional equipment allowance to ensure you have the tools you need to perform at your best
• Professional development courses allowance to support continuous learning and career growth
• A diverse, international team shaping the future of destinations