Job Description

Research Associate Publisher II
Salary: 46,000 per annum
Location: London EC1A
Contract: Six-month fixed-term, full time
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Working Pattern: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:30pm (1-hour unpaid lunch)
Work Model: Fully onsite
About the Role
As a Research Associate Publisher II, you will play a critical role in the delivery of high-quality, time-sensitive research publications for a global financial services client. Operating within a Williams Lea team of nine across London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and India, this role is central to ensuring research publications are produced, quality-controlled, and distributed accurately, compliantly, and on time.
The position is heavily delivery-focused, with approximately 70% of time dedicated to business-as-usual (BAU) publishing activities and 30% to change, UAT, and technology initiatives. Pre-deal publishing is a core and business-critical component of the role and occurs frequently, requiring precision, speed, and sound judgement.
Once trained, the successful candidate will be trusted to make day-to-day operational decisions independently, escalating issues appropriately while maintaining ownership of outcomes.
Key Relationships & Scope

• Daily collaboration with Research Analysts, Operations, Technology teams, and offshore partners
• Close partnership with the onshore publications team across EMEA and APAC
• Primary regional focus on EMEA, while contributing to global consistency of service
• Regular interaction with senior stakeholders to ensure service standards and expectations are met

Key Responsibilities
Operational Delivery

• Support Research Analysts in the authoring, formatting, and publishing of research reports across end-to-end workflows
• Manage and execute high-volume, time-critical pre-deal publishing, including preparation of client lists, entitlement checks, and coordinated distribution
• Monitor workflows, priorities, and handoffs across onshore and offshore teams to ensure deadlines, quality, and SLAs are consistently met
• Perform rigorous quality control, proofing, and compliance checks to ensure accuracy, consistency, and adherence to publishing standards
• Make informed operational decisions daily to maintain service excellence, escalating where appropriate

Change, UAT & Continuous Improvement

• Actively participate in UAT cycles, technology releases, and workflow enhancements
• Identify opportunities to improve tools, processes, and service outcomes; provide structured feedback to stakeholders
• Take ownership of NextGen training materials and documentation, ensuring they remain accurate and up to date

Training & Onboarding

• Coordinate with Research Trainers to support onboarding of new joiners
• Assist with access requests, systems setup, and operational training
• Identify training needs and support the delivery of training sessions on publishing processes and tools

Client Focus & Service Excellence

• Deliver consistently high levels of customer service and proactive communication throughout the publication lifecycle
• Build trusted relationships with end users and client stakeholders
• Resolve client issues effectively, ensuring root causes are addressed and lessons learned are shared
• Actively encourage and incorporate client feedback to drive service improvements

General Responsibilities

• Build strong working relationships across the Williams Lea global network
• Share knowledge and best practices across the team
• Maintain a positive, professional, and solutions-oriented approach
• Champion Williams Lea values and culture, acting as a role model at all times
• Take ownership of personal development and continuous learning

Essential Skills & Experience

• Organisational & Project Management Skills: Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional accuracy and quality focus across all stages of publishing
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills with the confidence to work across global teams and escalate when required
• Training & Knowledge Sharing: Experience supporting or delivering training and onboarding activities
• Problem Solving & Judgement: Ability to assess issues, make decisions independently once trained, and seek support when needed
• Technical Skills: Advanced MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook); working knowledge of SharePoint and Adobe Acrobat

Personal Competencies

• Proactive, self-managing, and resilient in a high-pressure environment
• Confident decision-maker with sound judgement
• Strong team player with a collaborative mindset
• Positive, 'can-do' attitude and professional presence
• Motivated to continuously improve skills, processes, and service quality

Rewards and Benefits
We believe in supporting our employees in both their professional and personal lives. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to:
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Salary sacrifice schemes, retail vouchers - including our TechScheme which can be used on a range of gadgets such as Smart TV's, laptops and computers or household appliances
Life Assurance
Private Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Health Assessments
Cycle-to-work scheme
Discounted gym memberships
Referral Scheme
You will also work for a global employer who is dedicated to offering each employee an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding career with future career development prospects!
Equality and Diversity
The Company values the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation and will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (each of these being a "protected characteristic" in discrimination law). It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values openness, fairness, and transparency.
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like to make a reasonable adjustment to enable you to make an interview, please contact us at .
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Skills Required