Head of Market Research

About the role

Burn is seeking a senior leader to own its research agenda across multiple African markets. You will shape how the company learns about customers, product performance and market dynamics to drive product and commercial decisions.

Key responsibilities

• Define research strategy, prioritize studies and select cost‑effective methodologies aligned with product and commercial road‑maps.
• Lead end‑to‑end research execution – from needs assessment, design, sampling and data collection to analysis and reporting – ensuring consistent quality across countries.
• Manage field operations, including in‑home surveys, focus groups, ethnographic visits and remote interviews, and oversee both in‑house enumerators and third‑party agencies.
• Produce insight‑focused reports that translate complex data into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
• Integrate primary research with Burn’s connected‑product data (telemetry, app usage, PAYGO repayment) to build a holistic customer view.

Required profile

• 8+ years of market research, consumer insights or applied social research experience, with at least 3 years leading a research team.
• Proven track record managing multi‑country field operations in African or comparable emerging markets.
• Strong analytical toolkit – advanced Excel plus at least one of SPSS, Stata, R or Python.
• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, economics, social sciences, marketing or a related field.
• Willingness to travel regularly across Burn’s markets.

Required skills

• Advanced Excel
• SPSS
• Stata
• R
• Python
• SurveyCTO
• KoboToolbox/ODK