Top research manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
A research manager resume experience section to be proud of
Writing a strong experience section for your research manager resume:
- List your previous jobs in chronological or reverse-chronological format;
- Use no more than 4-6 bullets per position;
- Mention only relevant work experience;
- Describe the tasks you were responsible for and how you managed to exceed expectations;
- Show you’re able to take charge by choosing action verbs over buzzwords.
Looking for real-life examples of what a strong experience section looks like? Check out our suggestions below!
- Handled over 40 quantitative research projects such as Brand Track, Communication Testing, Concept Testing, Product Testing, Pack Testing, Naming Research across product categories
- End-to-end project management which includes - decoding briefs and proposal creation, questionnaire designing and programming, operations, data analysis, final report writing and presentation to the client
- Hands-on experience across industries like e – commerce, digital payment apps, health and hygiene, home hygiene, FMCG, consumer durables, beverages etc
- Gained extensive knowledge and worked on SPSS, SQL, & Excel for identifying, measuring and recommending improvement strategies for data extraction, analysis, tabulations
- Experience and high potential in interpreting, evaluating and interrelating research data for strategic decision-making
- Actively contributed to the creation of an in-house app used for conducting online quantitative research
- Project Management of assigned early phase oncology studies in ANZ region, including proactively planning, driving, and tracking execution and performance of deliverables/timelines/results to meet country commitments through all stages of the clinical study.
- Point of Contact (POC) for assigned protocols and link between Country Operations and Clinical Trials Team (CTT).
- Crossfunctional collaboration with outsourcing vendors, Investigators, other external partners in assigned studies.
- Accountable for performance for assigned protocols in compliance with ICH/GCP and country regulations, MSD policies and procedures, quality standards and adverse event reporting requirements internally and externally.
- Proactive and continuous review of study deliverables and overall performance and conduct Quality Control Visits (QCV) to clinical sites as required.
- Manage team of 20+ direct reports conducting phase I-III clinical trials in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
- Established Stanford's new Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) research program (2019).
- Expanded the Hematology Division's portfolio and Clinical Research Group (CRG) by 20%.
- Led CRG in achieving the top 3 accruals rates at the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI).
- In GfK I have held several positions, from junior consultant to project manager and team leader in the FMCG division.
- During these years I have had the opportunity to help clients both locally and internationally to improve their business results through a deeper understanding of the consumer and market trends and dynamics.I have wide experience in managing and selling projects e2e using different methodologies: concept / product / pack / pricing tests, satisfaction and loyalty studies, digital projects (passively tracked data, UX research...), image and brand positioning, volumetric analysis, pre and post advertising tests, mystery shopper, consumer journey, ...
- I have experience in diverse sectors: FMCG (L'Oréal, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Campofrio, El Pozo, Bimbo, ...), Healthcare & OTC (Astrazeneca, GSK, Janssen-Cilag, Combe, L'Oréal Cosmética Activa) and services (Google, La Once, Accenture, Ilunion,...)
- Since 2010 I have been a member of the International Team that manages L’Oréal account, working on best practices, outputs standardization and data integration. The account growth enabled me to manage a team of four people.
- GfK es una de las empresas consultoras de investigación de mercados líder en el mercado mundial. En GfK he desarrollado diversas funciones y roles desde mi incorporación como técnico junior (2004) hasta el puesto de directora de departamento y jefa de proyecto en la división de MOI (Marketing Opportunities & Innovation).
- En estos años he tenido oportunidad de ayudar a clientes tanto a nivel local como a nivel internacional a optimizar sus resultados a través del conocimiento del consumidor y las tendencias y dinámicas del mercado.
- Cuento con una amplia experiencia en el desarrollo y gestión de estudios y metodologías: Test de concepto/producto/pack, estudios de precios, de satisfacción y fidelidad, seguimiento digital, imagen y posicionamiento de marca, análisis de volumetría, pre y post tests publicitarios, mystery shopper, UX research, etc.Desde 2010 he sido miembro del Team Internacional del grupo GfK que gestiona la cuenta de L’Oréal a nivel global y en donde trabajamos aspectos de mejora, estandarización de outputs y metodologías, integración de datos.
- Responsible for managing projects from the proposal stage straight through to completion
- Manage many clients in sectors such as beverage alcohol, transportation, consumer packaged goods, and financial services
- Specialize in deriving insights and recommendations that provide clients with the knowledge and information needed to make informed social and economic decisions
- Tested original assumptions, and wrote a report to management including recommendations for future action
- Analysed data using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Responsible for implementing Millward Brown’s special tool ‘Zooms’ for conducting one-on-one interviews to more fully illuminate what consumers are thinking and feeling
- Moderated one-to-one interviews and focus groups to obtain insights that allowed product/creative to better meet customer needs.
- Designed questionnaires, discussion guides using projective techniques to gather meaningful feedback from participants
- Designed proposal for existing and new clients including designing of sample plan and costing
- Maintained relationship as a SPOC for one of the biggest clients of Millward Brown, Kantar.
- Managed financial procedures and operational work that includes recruitment, managing project
- Working closely with the US team and clients on marketing effectiveness projects
- Capture in-store shopper behavior and convert observations to data and metrics
- Test New Products In-Market by devising strategies to protect new product launches, to gain competitive intelligence on product placements, cannibalization by completion brands, promotional activities and in-store marketing execution
- Deep dive on segments, attitude, lifestyle and at-home product usage to create enthralling proposition for client's business
- Visualize the in-store, e-commerce and omni-channel shopper journey by dwelling deeper into consumer shopping behavior
- Driving insights with clients basis trip missions, intended usage occasions and navigating in-store/online to uncover mysteries on reason for purchase/ barriers to rejecting a product
- Execute market research projects with leading global brands across various industries for their Pricing Strategies, Sales Effectiveness Analysis and Market Penetration besides new Product Launch and Development Strategies.
- Create market reports, process reports, comprehensive dashboards and advise management and clients on ways to optimize revenue, audience, user engagement, customer retention, and market share.
- Deliver training to team members focusing on imparting primary and secondary research techniques and nurturing qualitative as well as quantitative research skills.
- Guided 2+ new technology developments from proof of concept to commercializing in the market with maximum efficiency
- Established strong research connections with Research organisations, technology developers, Universities, and SMEs.
- Invested in 24+ companies, 14 of which are run by women
- Lead partnership with National Institute for Space Research (INPE), University of São Paulo (USP), and Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) in Brazil; and University of North Carolina (UNC) in the US.
- Managed research with more than 50 people, developing technology for Comercial Airplanes and Defence Systems.
- Environmental Remote Sensing, Data Analytics for Crowd Behaviour simulations, Passenger Cabin Comfort and UAV Detect & Avoid.
- Manage and contribute to the development of investigational devices for BAHS and CI audiological research, specifically for applications related to cognitive hearing science and field/mHealth clinical research
- Driving the development of 3 main platforms: 1 - Listening Effort Assessment Platform (LEAP): lab-grade platform for the study of listening effort and related cognitive functions, 2 - Field Research Platform (FRP): iOS mobile platform development for audiological field studies, 3 - OMVR: Embedding listening and visuo-executive function diagnostic tests, as well as rehabilitation programs within virtual environments.
- Clinical research: study design and execution, currently at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover for a pilot involving laboratory assessment of listening effort and field assessment of audiological scenarios
PRO TIP
The person reading your Research Manager resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action verbs for your research manager resume
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Taking Control of Your Research Manager Resume’s Skills Section
A skills section that shows what you’re capable of includes:
- Keywords from the job advert to help you pass ATS;
- Both hard and soft skills, incl. technical skills and people skills;
- Skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for;
- No more than 15 skills – to keep your resume readable.
Top skills for your research manager resume
Database skills
Computer languages
Data Processing
Laboratory experience
Conducting research
Statistical Analysis
Teamwork and communication
Creative problem solving
Analystical thinking
Owning up to errors
Self-learning
Time management
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Research manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your research manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Research Manager resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
A research manager resume summary that spotlights your achievements
Checklist: A strong research manager resume summary.
- Use adjectives that highlight the character traits you’re most proud of;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements;
- Add keywords from the job advert to increase your chances of passing ATS;
- Keep the recruiter’s attention by going for short sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
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Creating an impressive education section for your research manager resume
The education section: checklist
- List your degrees in reverse-chronological order;
- Include your degree subject, place of study, name of institution, and year of graduation;
- Add a line or two about your relevant certifications;
- Mention some classes and projects that have helped you gain additional skills.
Top certifications for your research manager resume
Get Hired as a Product Manager | Applying & Interviewing
Complete guide to applying, researching, & interviewing for a Product Management job. + Mock interviews & insider tips
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
Enhance your Emotional Intelligence; The Science of Emotions
The Science, Research and Lessons, on Emotions, and Social Skills, for Leaders, Managers & everyone else!
A Diversity Deep-Dive, Leadership Insights and Lessons !
The Research and Evidence, on Diversity and Inclusion; Insights, Lessons, and Strategies, for Leaders and Managers.
Research Project Management: Getting Started
Learn the essential principles of research project management at your own pace
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
A professional format for your research manager resume
There are some aspects worth taking into consideration when choosing the format of your Research Manager resume. These include the position and company you’re applying for, your total years of experience, whether you’ve been through some employment gaps, and so on.
Generally speaking, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The reverse-chronological resume format is just that: all your jobs listed in a reverse-chronological way, starting from the most recent and moving backward. It’s great for highly experienced professionals with over 10 years in the industry behind their backs. The reason for this: it’s almost entirely focused on experience and achievements.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is just the opposite. It’s based on your skills, personality, and expertise. It highlights what you’re capable of even when you don’t have sufficient work experience. This makes it great for students, recent graduates, or people with larger career gaps.
If neither of these sounds like you, go for the combination resume format. It’s a combination of the best characteristics of other formats, which makes it great for showcasing different aspects of your career and education. It also gives you plenty of options to choose from – in terms of colors, structure, and sections.
Check out our additional tips on perfecting your Research Manager resume’s style and layout:
- Choose traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for a serif or sans serif resume font that’s easy to read yet looks professional (e.g. Arial, Verdana, or Calibri);
- Keep your Research Manager resume short: one-page template are preferable, but if you have over 10 years of experience, you can also go for a two-page format;
- Save your resume as PDF and choose a suitable name, e.g. NameSurnameResume;
Tired of looking for ways to make your resume stand out? Read this article!
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PRO TIP
Test your draft Research Manager resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Additional sections for your research manager resume
After drafting the required sections of your Research Manager resume, it’s now time to move to something a bit more fun. There are a number of sections you can add to your resume depending on the company, the position, and how you’re feeling in general:
Adding the right kind of creativity to your research manager resume
It is through creativity that we express ourselves. And trust us, it’s important to show at least a bit of your personality if you want to leave a strong first impression.
But what are the ways to add creativity to your Research Manager resume? Well, you can either go for a colorful and engaging template, or you could add some out-of-the-box sections, such as ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my typical day looks like’.
It’s up to you! Just make sure that the level of creativity matches the position, the company, and the industry you’re applying for.
What makes a great research manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
