Market Research Executive

Full time permanent role with hybrid working

Salary - £26k - £37k (depending on experience, knowledge & skills)

Are you looking for a varied client-side market research role where your work genuinely influences decision‑making, policy and industry outcomes?

We are looking for a 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 helps an interesting sector thrive.  You’ll 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’ll work in a collaborative team that values curiosity, organisation and attention to detail, with plenty of scope to learn, contribute ideas and develop your skills.

Who this role is for?

We welcome applications from:

• Graduates from a social science or relevant discipline with experience of good research design practice and interpretation or analysis of complex datasets, who are keen to build a career in market research, or
• Market research professionals with previous experience who are looking for a new challenge in a client-side role

The salary range reflects our openness to appointing at different experience levels.

Why join us?

• Work at the forefront of market research and insights in a unique and purpose-led sector
•  A varied role covering research design, analysis, insight development and storytelling
• The opportunity to grow your skills while contributing work that makes a real impact

What we offer you

• Competitive salary and generous benefits, including 30 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays), pension, health cash plan, life assurance, employee discounts and salary‑sacrifice schemes 
• Structured development, on‑the‑job learning and support from an experienced and encouraging manager 
• Hybrid working and a friendly, inclusive working environment

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:

• Design and deliver market research projects, working with internal stakeholders and external suppliers
• Produce and present high‑quality reports for members, internal teams and external audiences
• Promote research outputs in collaboration with marketing colleagues
• Design and deliver market research studies from brief to insight
• Analyse quantitative and qualitative data, translating findings into clear, actionable insights
• Produce and present high‑quality reports and market insights for members, media and internal teams
• Maintain and support benchmarking, CRM and internal data systems
• Promote and share research outputs in collaboration with marketing colleagues across digital channels, publications and presentations

What you’ll bring 

Essential Qualifications, Experience & Skills

• Degree level qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline involving interpretation or analysis of complex data sets such as the social sciences
• Understanding of good practice research design and data collection
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Good desk research skills and critical thinking skills
• A questioning and curious nature to get to the bottom of a business issue/problem and find research-based solutions
• Experienced in using MS Office
• Full UK driving licence and able to drive to the office at least 3 days per week

Desirable Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Experience presenting research findings to non-specialist audiences
• Experience with survey, analysis or analytical tools (e.g. SPSS, Tableau, SurveyMonkey, Voxco)
• Qualitative research experience
• Membership of a professional body such as the Market Research Society
• Interest in trade associations, policy or sector‑based research
• Interest in horticulture, sustainability or the environment

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 Friday 1 May.  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.

Direct applicants only. No agencies please. 

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK, be able to drive and have access to a vehicle.