Founding Director, Survey Research and Public Opinion

About the role

AUIB is seeking an accomplished research leader to establish and direct a new survey research hub offering credible public opinion, market and social research and applied studies for public institutions, businesses, development organizations and academic partners. The Founding Director leads strategy, research standards, operations, partnerships and financial performance, recruiting a team, developing clients and protecting the independence and integrity of the research.

Key responsibilities

• Establish the hub with a phased launch plan for services, staffing, technology, governance, budgets and revenue, and build a core team and a supervised network of field researchers across Iraq.
• Lead research design: sampling, questionnaire development, translation and testing, data collection, weighting, analysis and reporting, with clear explanations of coverage and limitations.
• Ensure reliable fieldwork through interviewer training, pilot testing, supervision, back-checks and data validation, with documented corrective action.
• Protect research integrity: political impartiality, rules on client influence, conflicts of interest, publication and disclosure, and resistance to pressure to alter findings.
• Safeguard participants and data: informed consent, confidentiality, secure data access and retention, ethics review coordination and risk management.
• Build a sustainable research business: client relationships, proposals, budgets and contracts, cost control and repeat business.
• Create a programme of recurring surveys on issues relevant to Iraq, with comparable evidence and transparent documentation.
• Develop partnerships with research organizations and academic institutions, and supervise research and training for students and emerging Iraqi researchers.
• Communicate findings through reports, presentations and public briefings, acting as a credible spokesperson.

Required profile

• Master's degree or higher in survey methodology, statistics, quantitative social science, economics, public policy or a related field, with substantial applied survey research experience.
• At least 10 years of relevant research experience, including at least five years leading research teams, major survey programmes or research operations.
• Record of delivering large, geographically dispersed surveys with responsibility for methodological quality and fieldwork performance.
• Experience managing staff, project budgets, proposals and client relationships, and securing commissioned research.
• Ability to design research accounting for Iraq's regional, linguistic, cultural and social differences, supported by experience in Iraq or comparable complex environments.
• Demonstrated integrity, political impartiality and ability to defend research standards under pressure.
• Excellent written and spoken English, and willingness to be based in Baghdad and travel within Iraq.

Preferred qualifications

• Doctorate in a relevant discipline.
• Leadership experience in a respected polling organization, survey research institute or applied research firm, including establishing or expanding a research operation.
• Arabic proficiency and direct experience conducting research in Iraq; Kurdish is an advantage.
• Experience developing recurring national surveys, working with international partners and building local research capacity.