Market Research Recruiters: 12 Firms for Research and Insights Hires

In a case study (opens in a new tab) dated December 2023, Madison Wells reports four consumer insights manager hires for Lactalis, a global CPG brand, as it built a North American insights function. It says all four were identified and interviewed within two weeks of the search launch, and that the average time from launch to accepted offer was 11 weeks. Tina, Lactalis Canada's North American director of consumer insights, praises the recruiter in the same document. Its testimonials page (opens in a new tab) adds praise from an SVP of research and insights at a technology company and from an HR manager and an executive vice president at research suppliers.

The firm's market research page lists roles from analyst to vice president and above, including directors of research, consumer and shopper insights leaders, competitive intelligence managers and focus group moderators. Its clients are B2C and B2B brands, research suppliers, advertising agencies and consultancies. The employers page (opens in a new tab) offers two models, a retained search for senior hires and a fractional "Talent Partner Program" for ongoing hiring. No fee is published on the pages read.

A vice president of a pharma market research company, in a testimonial (opens in a new tab) signed by title, praises the firm's follow-up after a placement and calls its professional ethics "impeccable". The firm also publishes the most complete terms on this list. Its policies page (opens in a new tab), read in October 2026, says the employer owes nothing "unless and until the applicant actually begins employment". The fee is also earned if the employer or an affiliate hires the candidate within a year of the referral. For the first 90 days, it replaces at no added cost a hire who resigns without just cause or is dismissed for just cause. The guarantee does not apply if the role's duties changed substantially or the person leaves in a general downsizing, and it is void if the fee is not paid within ten days.

Between day 91 and day 365 it replaces a hire for a pro-rated fee by month, for example 5/12ths of the original fee in the fifth month. There is no guarantee after a year.

The market research page lists pharma market research, health economics and outcomes research, real-world evidence, market access, qualitative and quantitative research and secondary research, from technical staff to directors and vice presidents. It says the firm's market research recruiters work exclusively in that field. Retained search is offered for senior roles.

Ten placements on Smith Hanley's market research page, listed without client names, include a head of insights and analytics at a global CPG brand, a qualitative research director at a mid-size research consultancy and a category insights manager at a grocery retailer. It says its clients range from Fortune 500 corporations to management consulting firms and research companies, and its roles from research analysts to the C-suite.

The page lists research specialties from consumer and shopper insights to patient and physician research, competitive intelligence and tracking studies, plus operations roles such as panel and sample recruiting and a set of UX research and design roles. A named principal leads the market research and consumer insights practice. No fee, search model or guarantee is published on the pages read.

Alpha Apex Group's market research page reported firm-wide figures in October 2026: 2,000+ placements worldwide and a 43-day average time to fill full-time hires. It also says new candidates reach the hiring manager's inbox within 72 hours, without saying from which point or for which searches. The page does not identify these figures as market research measures and names no research client or placement.

The page describes recruitment and leadership search for market research specialists, with candidates assessed on how they interpret data and turn findings into strategic advice, and support for clients beyond the placement. Agree the role, search model and fee directly.

A principal at the private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates describes a search for a vice president of analytics and insights at a portfolio company, a hire who had to build an analytics function from scratch. Within 30 days, the client says, BrainWorks had identified candidates to interview, and the chosen candidate accepted the offer. The testimonial sits on the market research practice page, last updated in May 2024.

That page lists completed searches for a VP of market research and insights, directors of market research and consumer insights, and senior managers. Its retained search page (opens in a new tab) sets out the candidate guarantee above after an assessment of your requirements, and the homepage says contingent fees are paid only if you hire its candidate. The guarantee's conditions and any refund of a retainer are not published on the pages read.

In one of JRG's case studies, a global consumer products company hired a chief insights officer, a VP of consumer insights, a VP of marketing research and directors of customer analytics and market intelligence. JRG says it mapped 500+ profiles and filled every role within 11 months. In a second case (opens in a new tab), it assessed 400+ professionals and completed multiple leadership placements within 10 months for a consumer brand. Both clients are unnamed at their request, and the pages carry no dates.

The practice page names roles from chief insights officer and head of market research to consumer research director, and testimonials signed by title, such as a global beauty brand's CMO on a head of consumer insights hire. In October 2026 it said most searches are completed within 6 to 10 weeks, without defining completion, and that it presents a slate of three to five candidates; the retained search page (opens in a new tab) gives 8 to 12 weeks without naming the end point. The employer FAQ (opens in a new tab) offers retained, contingent and deposit-based models, a one-time replacement guarantee for the first 90 days and a no-refunds policy. That FAQ describes a retainer up front and the balance on placement, while the retained page describes three payments, so confirm the schedule in your agreement.

Aldi, Campari, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Greggs, Hovis and Johnson and Johnson are among ten companies where Nigel Wright's market research page says it has placed head-of and director-level research or insight roles. SMG's managing director describes a VP customer insight search in which the consultant "acted quickly to create a strong shortlist". Hovis's marketing director credits the firm with ten senior marketing hires, including a head of insights.

The firm describes itself as a specialist market research and consumer insights executive search firm, with research directors and heads of research as the core roles, and clients from start-ups to multinationals, charities and public bodies. Search model, fees and timelines are not published on the pages read.

Completed searches on O'Connell's consumer insights page are listed by region and title, without client names: a director of consumer insights for a personal care brand in Chicago, a vice president of innovation insights in food and beverage, and senior managers of customer insights in retail and of consumer insights in food. In a case study posted in 2023, an unnamed home improvement retailer rebuilding its customer insights and analytics team had three senior leaders placed early in the process.

The roles it lists run from chief insights officer and vice president to manager and analyst, across insights and analytics, shopper insights, category management and business intelligence. Its homepage says the firm has worked with companies from private equity firms to Fortune 500 leaders. No fees or guarantee are published on the pages read.

In a case study published in 2021, Marie Hense, data and product strategy director at the market and consumer insights business Lumina Intelligence, says Aspire was "an instrumental partner" while the company restructured its data team. On Aspire's testimonials page (opens in a new tab), the managing director of a research consultancy reports seeing profiles 30 minutes after the first meeting and a search finished in three weeks. A client signed "Amy, DMG Media" credits a consultant with shortlists of insight candidates delivered on time and on brief.

The research and insight page lists open roles from research executive to research director, with salaries in pounds. It says many of the most senior leadership roles in the research sector are handled by Aspire exclusively and never advertised on job boards. The homepage lists contingency, retained search and contract staffing. No fees are published on the pages read.

The Hasson Partnership's FAQ (opens in a new tab), read in October 2026, says it takes roles from briefing to signed contracts in under 30 days, depending on the level and candidate availability. It offers a placement guarantee, typically 3 to 12 weeks depending on the agreement. It names no client or placement on the pages read.

The firm recruits research, operations and sales roles in the research industry, client-side or agency, from entry level to the C-suite; the research titles it lists run from research executive to research director. Its services page (opens in a new tab) describes executive search, exclusive contingency with no fee unless it delivers, and a "container search" with a small upfront fee and the balance on hire. A notice in The Gazette (opens in a new tab) records that Hasson & Associates Recruitment entered liquidation on July 16, 2025, and that its director, Sinead Hasson, gave notice in July 2025 that she intended to carry on its business under this name.

Pollen publishes client testimonials without names. One employer describes using Pollen to fill research positions "from Junior Executive up to Director level". Another says Pollen sent one candidate, who was "exactly what we were looking for". The firm says most of its placements come from introducing one or two candidates for each role. Its about page (opens in a new tab) says two of its consultants, Bridget and Nicky, worked in research at Kantar before recruiting.

Pollen recruits for market research, insight, evaluation and analytics roles, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, alongside product management and customer success. Its jobs are listed with salaries in pounds. Fees, guarantees and search models are not published on the pages read.

Stopgap's market research and insight page lists roles from research executive and research manager to research director, insights director and head of insight, across qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, customer and consumer insight and analytics. It recruits for agency and client-side teams on permanent, contract, interim and freelance terms. The page publishes no research client, placement or testimonial, and its case-study index (opens in a new tab) does not identify a research hire.

Its services page (opens in a new tab) says permanent hires usually run on a contingent, pay-on-success basis, with retained and pay-as-you-go options on request. The Advertise & Filter service cost £1,500 in October 2026 and runs an advert on Stopgap's site and LinkedIn for up to 28 days and sends you a selection of CVs.