Trainee Research Executive

This is an exciting entry-level role for a trainee to kick-start their career with one of the fastest-growing market research agencies in the UK.

On our trainee scheme, you’ll be given structured training and mentoring across all aspects of market research, from designing research projects, to client and project management and analysis and reporting. It’s a hugely varied role requiring a range of skills, and no two days are the same – so if you’re looking for a job where you have lots of autonomy, where creativity and innovation is valued, and where daily variety is key, this could be the perfect role for you!

Ultimately, as researchers we help our clients develop and improve their products and services, build brand strategies, and better meet the needs of the people who buy their products. Our projects cover countries across the world, so you’ll learn about different cultures and contexts, and cover all sorts of product areas, from deodorants to detergents and canned snacks to condoms! And there’s plenty of space to progress into more senior roles for the right person.

If you would like to apply for this role, please fill out the application form below. Thank you for your interest.

About you:

You’re fascinated by people and why they behave and think the way they do. You’re curious, creative, keen to learn, and passionate about developing new ideas and running with them. You love a challenge, would be happy to work unstructured hours to meet client demands, and you thrive on working in a fast-paced and innovative environment.

You might have a degree in social sciences, marketing or business, but many of our team have wide-ranging academic backgrounds – the key is your ability to be self-starting, enthusiastic and to be on board with our values: authenticity, partnership, entrepreneurship and positivity.

A bit about Blue Yonder:

Blue Yonder was founded by Jonathan Million 20 years ago. Chief Innovation Officer, and lifetime entrepreneur, Jonathan is involved in pioneering innovations day-to-day, with 10% of the company’s net profits being invested into innovation, to create new insight tech and methods to support client needs. For example, our very own research tech button, Clickscape®, which was proudly patented in 2023.

Blue Yonder is all about people: our amazing team are key to our success. We value authenticity, partnership, entrepreneurship and positivity, and these values aren’t just stuck up on a wall somewhere – they underpin everything we do, internally and externally. Our culture is key; we’re supportive, learning and solution-focused, and we’re a lovely bunch to work with. But we would say that wouldn’t we? In our 2024 full-team survey, 100% agreed their line manager cared about their learning and development, and the most common words to describe Blue Yonder were ‘friendly’, ‘innovative’ and ‘fun’.

In the last couple of years, we’ve doubled our team size, restructured, and innovated. We were shortlisted for Agency of the Year at the Market Research Society awards in 2024, after winning break-through Agency of the Year in 2020, and we were finalists for Agency of the Year in 2020, 2021, and 2022. And in 2025, we’re still growing, innovating more than ever, and looking for more great people to join our expanding team.

We don’t do ‘off the shelf’ approaches; we work in partnership with our clients, challenge, design solutions, and make them happen. We’re hands-on, regardless of job title, and we work with mixed methods to answer client questions, presented beautifully, using a range of tools including video and interactive deliverables. And while our HQ is in Leeds, we work flexibly, and our clients and projects span the globe.

What we offer:

We don’t do unnecessary fluff but we do offer a competitive salary, company profit share, a bonus holiday for your birthday, regular socials, a bonus day for charity work, DE&I and wellbeing initiatives, and lots of structured training throughout the year. We have a flexible working environment and if there’s something that’s important to you – be it a day you need to pick the kids up, or a specific charity you want to support – let’s talk!

Authenticity is one of our core values, and at Blue Yonder we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic team with equal opportunities. We want to attract, develop, and promote the very best people from all walks of life, so we actively encourage applications from a range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, as well as others who are underrepresented in our sector, such as disabled or neurodiverse applicants.

Job details:

Please note successful applicants must have the right to work in the UK and will need to bring proof to the interview e.g. a passport or work permit.

Should you be shortlisted in the recruitment process, if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to accommodate your interview, let us know in confidence.

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule: 40 hours per week (Monday – Friday)

Salary: £25,500 per year

Education: Bachelor’s degree or similar (preferred)

Ability to commute/relocate: Leeds, LS15 8GB – reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Reference ID: Trainee Research Executive

Vacancy benefits:

  • Flexible working location
  • Support with work from home needs you may have
  • Freedom to dress however makes you comfortable
  • 24 days holiday (plus bank holidays) + one per year up to 27 days
  • Company pension scheme
  • Extra day off on your birthday
  • Volunteering day every year
  • Fully renovated flexible / hybrid office in 2024
  • Bi-annual promotion and salary review windows
  • 2 major company parties a year + monthly socials organised by our own social and charity team
  • Hybrid working – with a requirement of at least 2-3 days a week in the office