Research & Insights Intern

About the Role

Ember Foundry is a research and strategy studio that helps Indian promoters make sharper business and brand decisions. We work at the intersection of human insight, consumer understanding, business strategy and growth. We believe that the best business decisions begin with understanding people — their needs, motivations, behaviours and choices.

We are looking for a curious, proactive and people-oriented Primary Research & Insights Intern who enjoys speaking to people, asking questions, uncovering patterns and understanding the reasons behind consumer and business behaviour. You will work on primary research projects for Ember Foundry and its clients, helping us understand consumers, markets and business opportunities directly through conversations and fieldwork. From designing questionnaires and identifying research participants to cold calling respondents, conducting interviews, managing surveys and analysing findings, you will be involved in the entire research process. This role requires someone who is comfortable reaching out to strangers, initiating conversations, following up persistently and engaging with people from different backgrounds. You should be equally comfortable speaking to a consumer over the phone, interviewing a business owner or organising research findings into a structured presentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Research Design & Planning
• Understand the business problem and translate it into clear research objectives and questions.
• Help design primary research methodologies, including consumer surveys, in-depth interviews, expert interviews and focus groups.
• Develop questionnaires, interview guides, screening questions and respondent profiles.
• Identify the right target audience and determine how to reach relevant respondents.
• Help plan research samples, recruitment approaches and fieldwork schedules.
• Respondent Recruitment & Outreach
• Identify and build lists of relevant research participants, consumers, professionals, business owners and industry stakeholders.
• Reach out to potential respondents through cold calls, WhatsApp, email, LinkedIn and other appropriate channels.
• Explain the purpose of the research and encourage participation.
• Schedule interviews, manage appointments and coordinate respondent availability.
• Conduct follow-ups to improve participation and completion rates.
• Maintain respondent databases and track outreach, responses, scheduled interviews and pending follow-ups.
• Build rapport with respondents while maintaining professionalism and research ethics.
• Primary Research & Fieldwork
• Conduct telephone interviews, in-depth interviews and structured consumer conversations.
• Administer surveys and collect responses from the defined target audience.
• Speak directly with consumers to understand their preferences, experiences, purchase decisions, motivations and pain points.
• Interview business owners, industry experts and other stakeholders when required by a project.
• Support focus groups, field visits and on-ground research activities where relevant.
• Record responses accurately, take detailed notes and document verbatim quotes where appropriate.
• Maintain confidentiality, obtain appropriate consent and follow ethical research practices.
• Data Organisation & Analysis
• Clean, organise and consolidate survey responses, interview notes and fieldwork data.
• Identify recurring themes, behavioural patterns, contradictions and emerging insights.
• Analyse why people make particular decisions rather than simply documenting what they say.
• Help develop consumer profiles, customer journeys, behavioural segments and insight summaries.
• Distinguish between observed evidence, interpretation and assumptions.
• Support the development of actionable recommendations based on primary research findings.
• Research Reporting & Presentations
• Translate research findings into clear, structured reports and presentations.
• Prepare charts, summary tables, respondent profiles and qualitative insight summaries.
• Present key findings, consumer quotes, patterns and implications to the strategy team.
• Help communicate what the findings mean for a client's business, brand, product or customer experience.
• Maintain accurate research records, respondent trackers and project documentation.
• Project Coordination
• Coordinate with the Ember Foundry team on research objectives, respondent profiles and fieldwork requirements.
• Use research and productivity tools, including AI tools, where appropriate, without compromising data accuracy or respondent confidentiality.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in psychology, sociology, marketing, business, economics, communications or a related field.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Confidence in speaking to unfamiliar people and initiating conversations over the phone.
• Willingness to make cold calls, conduct follow-ups and recruit respondents consistently.
• Curiosity about human behaviour, consumer decision-making and business problems.
• Strong listening skills and the ability to ask thoughtful follow-up questions.
• A structured and organised approach to collecting and documenting information.
• Attention to detail and comfort working with spreadsheets, surveys and presentations.
• Persistence, initiative and the ability to work independently.
• Openness to feedback and a genuine interest in learning research methodologies.
• Experience conducting interviews, surveys or academic fieldwork.
• Experience in telecalling, customer research, sales outreach or respondent recruitment.
• Familiarity with Google Forms, Google Sheets, Excel or survey platforms.
• Interest in qualitative research, behavioural science, consumer psychology or market research.
• Experience participating in college research projects, student societies or community outreach initiatives.

Your role will entail learning how to design primary research studies, recruit respondents, conduct structured interviews, collect and analyse data, identify consumer insights, and understand how research informs business decisions and strategy execution in a professional consulting environment.

Employment Type: Full-time Internship

Work Arrangement: Hybrid — 4 days a week in office, 1 day WFH

Working Hours: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Stipend: ₹15,000 per month

Location: Gurgaon