Market Research Executive

Full time permanent role with hybrid working

Salary - £32k - £34k depending on experience, knowledge & skills 

Are you looking for a varied client-side market research role where your work can make a real impact?

We are looking for an experienced market researcher to join our Research and Insights team. Reporting into the Market Research Manager, you will be responsible for planning, performing and designing market research that supports an interesting sector to thrive. You will analyse data to produce insights that tell a ‘story’ and inform our member businesses, evidence our lobbying activity with Government and support our own decision-making. You will join a collaborative and supportive team where a proactive, organised and detail-focused approach is valued.

Why join us?

• Work at the forefront of market research and insights in a unique and meaningful sector.
• Join a supportive team that values collaboration, initiative, and fresh ideas.
• Enjoy a varied and engaging role that includes, designing research studies, performing data analysis, writing research outputs and communicating insights to key internal and external
• Be part of a values-driven organisation with a clear mission and a culture of innovation and integrity.

We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
•  Hybrid and flexible working options
• Generous holiday allowance (30 days + bank holidays)
• A supportive, inclusive working environment
• Professional development and career progression

About the HTA

This is a hugely exciting time for the sector and for the HTA.  Gardens and managed green spaces and landscapes have never been more important to the UK – for the economy, for the environment and for the nation’s well-being.   

The HTA has 1,350 members, including garden retailers, growers, landscapers, and suppliers to the garden industry.  The HTA lobbies and campaigns for its members within the horticulture industry and has an excellent reputation.  We provide our members with the opportunity to learn, innovate, and network with others in the industry.

We have an effective political lobbying team working to enable the best conditions for our members to flourish across the UK and our research and insights team provide impactful data to help our members run productive and resilient businesses.

We have been running the National Garden Gift scheme since 1962. These garden gift cards can be bought and redeemed at HTA Garden centre members sites throughout the UK and can also be purchased online and in some supermarket gift card malls.  It is the biggest garden gift card scheme in the country – locking in around £40 million of consumer spend to horticulture and our members’ businesses. 

Our culture

Our culture is built on our values of being Member Focused, Collaborative & Inclusive, Trusted, and Innovative.  We put our members at the heart of everything we do, ensuring their needs and aspirations guide our decisions and actions.  We foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where every team member’s voice is valued, and diverse perspectives drive creativity and success. Trust is central to our relationships, both internally and externally, and we are committed to acting with integrity and transparency in all that we do.  We embrace innovation, continuously seeking new ways to improve and push boundaries, ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve in delivering exceptional service and results. If you’re looking for a workplace where these values are lived every day, and where you can make a real impact, we’d love you to have you join us.

What you’ll be doing

As Market Research Executive, you will be required to develop, design and implement research studies, from working with stakeholders to define business and research objectives, through to designing data collection tools or conducting desk research, and debriefing or reporting insights that are applied to a business setting. You will support our business benchmarking systems and produce research content and outputs for our member businesses or internal colleagues to support better business decision-making and help to raise the profile of the sector by supporting the HTA’s policy and media teams with data and evidence. With a strong focus on delivering value for our members, this role will suit someone who wishes to make a real difference and has a strong customer-first focus. 

This is an office-based role with hybrid working.  There is an important need for regular in-person collaboration and visibility across our offices and with members.

Key responsibilities:

• Specifying, designing and implement research studies: Collaborate with internal stakeholders to define business and research objectives, select appropriate research methods, and manage external suppliers to deliver high-quality studies on time. Design research briefs, questionnaires, and other data-collection tools, generate accurate samples from CRM systems, and develop effective communications to maximise research participation.
• Performing data analysis: Ensure data quality and validity through checking and cleaning, analyse quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources, and translate findings into reliable, actionable insights by identifying trends, patterns, and themes and reporting these back to manager and colleagues.
• Monitoring and reporting: Produce insightful reports for members, media, and external audiences using internal and third-party data via desk research; track and report key performance and market metrics; and monitor research enquiries and dealing with data issues through a shared team mailbox.
• Administration of systems and services: Support business benchmarking and internal data systems by ensuring data quality, administering platforms, liaising with third-party suppliers, onboarding retailers to monitoring systems, and maintaining accurate, up-to-date internal data resources.
• Communicating/promoting the work of the team: Collaborate with colleagues and the marketing team to communicate and promote market research through agreed plans, work collaboratively to produce HTA’s newsletters and update website content. Support members and colleagues in using research outputs, gather feedback to improve impact, and represent the organisation in cross-company projects and presentations.

What you’ll bring 

Essential Qualifications, Experience & Skills

• At least 3 years’ experience in a market/social research or insights role
• Appreciation and understanding of good practice in designing research and data collection to support specified business or project needs
• Excellent written English and verbal communication skills
• Strong desk research skills with the ability to critique a source’s reliability and validity 
• A proactive approach and strong problem-solving skills, including ability to make assumptions using multiple data sources where there may be gaps in information or existing research
• A good team-worker, with desire to work collaboratively as part of a wider team made up of staff with varying areas of expertise, and to support colleagues through insights and recommendations 
• A questioning, curious nature to get to the bottom of a business issue/problem and find research-based solutions, with ability to think critically and not take information presented at face value  
• Ability to handle detail accurately and where required to perform data cleansing work to maintain the integrity of data sets
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office packages such as Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel

Desirable Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• A degree-level qualification in a relevant discipline involving designing research tools, interpreting data sets and delivering insights such as the social sciences
• Experience presenting research findings to non-specialist audiences
• Experience in working with data analysis packages such as Tableau or SPSS
• Experience working with professional survey packages such as SurveyMonkey or Voxco 
• Market Research Society qualification
• Experience of qualitative research (e.g. depth interviewing, focus group moderation)
• Familiarity of digital analytics packages such as Google Analytics, Hotjar or Facebook insights
• An understanding of the principles of benchmarking
• Interest in the role of trade associations or similar bodies in representing member interests to government and media
• Membership of a professional body such as the Market Research Society
• Experience of having worked in project environments such as Prince2 or SmartSheets
• Previous experience within the Horticulture industry
• An enthusiasm for gardens/gardening, the outdoor environment, sustainability and the environment and contributing positively to it.

How to apply 

Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to: [email protected].  Closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 4th February 2026.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged.

The HTA is committed to embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into our culture and our talent processes.  We believe in creating a workplace where our people are treated with dignity and respect, a workplace free of barriers or discrimination.  We will make accommodations upon request for candidates wherever needed and practical throughout the hiring process.

This role is open to direct applicants only. No agencies please. 

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK.