Operations Research Manager Jobs in Houston, TX (NOW HIRING)

Overview: 

APQC is seeking a Research Manager who can translate research direction into structured execution plans, coordinate cross-functional activities, support data collection and analysis, and develop clear, compelling outputs that bring APQC insights to life. This role is ideal for a research execution professional who thrives at the intersection of project coordination, analytical thinking, content development, and operational excellence. 

Organizations turn to APQC for objective, research-based insights that cut through hype and reveal what is truly working in business today. 

The Research Manager plays a critical role in executing and integrating research activities across the full research lifecycle. Working under the guidance of Research Leads and subject matter experts, this role transforms research direction into coordinated timelines, project activities, foundational analyses, documentation, visual assets, and practical content deliverables. Success in this role requires intellectual curiosity, strong organizational skills, analytical reasoning, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects while collaborating effectively across research, analytics, editorial, design, and operational teams to ensure high-quality outcomes. 

Responsibilities: 

• Translate defined research direction into structured execution plans, including work breakdowns, timelines, milestones, dependencies, and coordinated activities
• Support data collection and fieldwork execution, including survey programming support, sampling execution, response monitoring, interview or roundtable coordination, and fieldwork documentation
• Conduct foundational analysis and generate structured research outputs such as tables, summaries, charts, and data-based observations that support insight development
• Collaborate with Research Leads, Survey and Analytics, statisticians, editorial, design, and other contributors to interpret findings, identify patterns, and support the development of clear, credible insights
• Develop visuals and support content creation by creating charts, visual elements, formatted outputs, and presentation-ready materials that communicate findings clearly and accurately
• Maintain quality, documentation, version control, and process adherence across assigned research activities, so outputs are consistent, credible, reusable, and aligned with APQC standards
• Use project management, collaboration, analytics, and emerging technology toos responsibly to improve research execution, efficiency, and quality while maintaining transparency and human review

Performance Indicators: 

Successful performance in this role will be evaluated against the following KPIs: 

• Research execution milestones are completed on time and in alignment with approved scope, timelines, dependencies, and quality standards
• Data collection, preparation, validation, and documentation activities are completed accurately and with sufficient traceability for reuse and review
• Foundational analyses, tables, summaries, charts, and visual/content outputs are clear, accurate, decision-useful, and delivered according to APQC output expectations
• Project documentation, status reporting, version control, and process adherence meet Research Services standards

Qualifications & Skills: 

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in business, management, research discipline, analytics, social science, communications, or similar field
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting or managing B2B research, analytics, business process studies, content production, project execution, or a similar research-oriented field
• Demonstrated excellence in coordinating projects, managing timelines, tracking dependencies, and meeting goals and deadlines across multiple concurrent workstreams
• Experience supporting research design, survey or interview execution, data collection, data validation, and foundational analysis
• Ability to translate data and findings into clear tables, summaries, charts, visuals, and practical content outputs for business audiences
• Strong analytical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, attention to detail, and documentation discipline
• Naturally curious and willing to dig into unfamiliar topics to build understanding and support credible research outputs
• Comfort working both autonomously and in a highly collaborative environment with Research Leads, analytics, editorial, design, and other stakeholders
• Ability to manage changing priorities and multiple projects while maintaining accuracy and follow-through
• Comfort using technology to make work more efficient, including project management systems such as Asana, collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, survey platforms, analytics tools, visualization tools, and emerging AI-enabled tools with appropriate human review

APQC is a member-based nonprofit organization and globally recognized authority in benchmarking, best practices, process improvement, and knowledge management. Serving more than 1,000 member organizations across 55+ industries worldwide—including Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and consulting firms—APQC helps organizations improve performance through trusted research, benchmarking data, process frameworks, and practical insights across business functions such as supply chain, finance, human resources, process and performance management, and knowledge management.