Head of Research DACH (m/f/d)

Hello there! We’re Appinio, a global market research company that combines an AI-powered insights platform with expert consultancy. On a mission to make the world a little more fact-based, we help companies understand how consumers think and make smarter decisions.

We started out in Hamburg back in 2014, but we’re now humbled to call the world our playground, with over 260 employees spread across 13 countries (we’re remote-first), 2600+ international clients, delivering research from +190 markets, globally.

Want to be a part of the Appinio movement? 🚀

Here at Appinio, we value transparency in our recruitment process, and we've created a blog to share what to expect during each step of our journey together: here

Your mission as a Head of Research DACH

As our Head of Research DACH, you will lead and develop our Research Excellence department in the region, ensuring top-notch research quality, strong client impact, and efficient, scalable processes. You will empower team leads, drive strategic initiatives, and represent Appinio as a thought leader - internally and externally - shaping the future of agile, AI-powered market research.

What you’ll be doing

Strategic Leadership

• Define and drive the DACH research roadmap, aligning with global objectives
• Launch initiatives to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability
• Translate senior leadership strategy into clear direction for the team

People Leadership

• Lead and develop Research Team Leads, ensuring consistent standards
• Oversee workforce planning, hiring, and team engagement
• Foster a high-performance, inclusive, and resilient team culture

Research & Process Excellence

• Ensure high-quality research output and methodology adoption
• Lead upskilling initiatives and enforce process compliance
• Act as escalation point for complex client or data issues

Commercial & Cross-Functional Impact

• Collaborate with Account Management and Customer Success to optimize delivery, key accounts, and client satisfaction
• Support high-stakes pitches and strategic initiatives while maintaining a NPS target of 80+

Thought Leadership

Represent Appinio externally at events, conferences, and shape the narrative around agile, AI-powered market research

You will thrive in this role if

You have 6+ years of experience in quantitative market research, with strong end-to-end expertise

You bring proven senior leadership experience, successfully managing a research department with multiple teams and team leads

You excel at process ownership, prioritization, and strategic execution in fast-paced, scaling environments

You have a strong commercial mindset, with experience supporting sales, pitching, and key account growth

You are a confident senior stakeholder manager and trusted sparring partner for C-level and executive clients

You are an established or aspiring thought leader, comfortable speaking at events and representing your organization externally

You communicate fluently in English and are fully proficient in German (C2 level)

You combine analytical rigor with empathy, pragmatism, and a hands-on leadership style

What’s in it for you?

Flexibility Policy - Our flexibility policy means there is no hard cap on the number of vacation days you can take

Temporary work from abroad - If you're based in the EU, you can work outside your country of residence for up to 180 days per year

All the hardware you need and your own MacBook

If you are located in Hamburg or Berlin, you'll get a Deutschland ticket or access to a mobility budget with the NAVIT app to get you to and from the office space

Subsidised Urban Sports Club or ClassPass membership based on location.

In case you’re located in one of the cities where most of our fellow Appinioneers are (Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona, or New York), you can get access to our Co-working spaces

Our interview process

Screening Call with Talent Acquisition Lead

• Case Study Interview with our VP Research and Director Research
• Stakeholder Interview with our Head of Sales DACH
• Leadership Interview with our Director People & Senior People Operations Partner

Reference Calls

Executive Interview with our COO

Kind reminder: Please ensure that your application is submitted in English.

This post not only outlines our ideal candidate but also serves as an inspiration for what this role can evolve into. Even if you consider yourself an 80% fit but have a genuine passion for this position, we encourage you to apply. We're eager to hear from individuals who share our enthusiasm.

Appinio is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

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