Research Manager at HF Group

Principle Accountabilities

 Research Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and drive the departmental research agenda aligned to digital and innovation strategy.
• Define research priorities based on business needs, product pipelines, and emerging market opportunities.
• Provide methodological oversight to ensure consistency, rigor, and institutional continuity.
• Guide and mentor junior research staff where applicable.

Field Research & User Insights

• Oversee and conduct field visits, ethnographic studies, interviews, and usability testing.
•  Identify critical customer pain points, behavioral patterns, and unmet needs.
• Ensure appropriate participant recruitment and stakeholder engagement.
• Escalate key insights and strategic implications to senior leadership for prioritization and action.

Desk Research & Market Intelligence

• Lead trend analysis on local and international digital banking developments, fintech innovations, and competitor activity.
• Monitor regulatory developments impacting digital products and innovation initiatives.
• Interpret macroeconomic, technological, and regulatory trends to inform strategic positioning.

Synthesis, Analytics & Evidence Generation

• Lead thematic and quantitative analysis of research findings.
•  Oversee the development of user personas, customer journey maps, and opportunity frameworks.
•  Ensure structured documentation and maintenance of institutional research databases.
• Translate raw data into strategic insights and business cases for decision-making.

Communication & Executive Reporting

•  Prepare and present insight reports, dashboards, and executive summaries to senior management.
•  Convert complex research outputs into clear, actionable strategic recommendations.
• Support board or executive-level innovation reporting where required.
• Ensure adherence to reporting standards and quality assurance processes

Continuous Improvement & Capability Building

• Introduce improved research methodologies, tools, and analytics capabilities.
• Promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making within Innovation and Digital teams.
• Stay updated on emerging research practices, digital tools, and innovation frameworks.

Principal Outputs for this role

• Strategic research agenda aligned to innovation priorities.
• Executive-level research briefs and insight reports.
• Market intelligence updates and competitor benchmarking reports.
• Structured and reliable research database.
• Actionable recommendations influencing product design and digital transformation

Key Competencies and Skills

• Strategic Thinking & Insight Generation
• Advanced Analytical & Critical Thinking
• Research Leadership & Methodological Expertise
• Digital & Innovation Awareness
• Executive Communication & Influence
• Stakeholder Management
• Decision Support & Business Acumen
• Adaptability & Continuous Learning

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Data Science, Business Analytics, Information Systems, Social Research, Sociology, or related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification (MBA, MSc, or equivalent) is an added advantage.
• Professional certification in Research Methods, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, or Digital Transformation is desirable.
• Strong proficiency in Excel, Power BI/Tableau, and research tools.

Experience

• Minimum 5–7 years relevant experience in research, analytics, innovation, digital strategy, or customer insights.
• Demonstrated experience leading research initiatives or managing research projects.
• Experience within financial services, fintech, digital platforms, or innovation environments is highly desirable.
• Experience presenting insights to senior stakeholders.