Market Signals Intelligence Lead

Who are we

Founded in 1896, Knight Frank was registered as Knight Frank LLP a Limited Liability Partnership, on 3 November 2003, registered in England & Wales at 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 8AN with the registered number of OC305934. Headquartered in London, UK, Knight Frank is one of the world's leading independent real estate consultancies. We work responsibly in partnership to enhance people's lives and environments in over 50 Markets, 600+ Offices, 20,000+ People, 1 Global Network.

At the heart of all we do are our Clients. A relationship built on trust is vital. As trusted partners in property, we act with integrity and care, understanding our clients’ unique needs and consistently thinking about the bigger picture to provide personalised, clear and considered advice across all areas of property. Through our deep understanding of key markets and sectors – both emerging and established – we are dedicated to meeting and exceeding their property goals.

A true partnership is a balanced one, and our People are passionate about, and committed to, making our business inclusive and diverse. We give every individual the space and opportunity to perform at their best and be recognised for the immense value they bring. We empower everyone to have autonomy in their role and encourage them to use their voice in how we can make a positive impact as a firm and shape the future of real estate, the built environment and the impact on the communities we serve. Our collaborative and engaged teams provide excellent and dedicated client service. In our workplace, opinions are respected, everyone is invited to contribute to the success of our business and innovation, and new ideas are celebrated.

In 2021 we celebrated our 125th anniversary and set out Our Desired Future, cemented in three pillars: People Potential, Client Centricity and always Creating our Future, together. Learn more about what sets us apart here.

About The Role

The Market Signals Intelligence Lead is accountable for establishing and leading Knight Frank’s enterprise market intelligence capability, synthesising complex internal and external data into a single, authoritative interpretation of market dynamics for senior leadership decision-making.

Currently, market insight is fragmented across Business Intelligence, Data Science, and Research, with no single accountable owner of synthesis, resulting in parallel and often inconsistent narratives. This role resolves that gap by owning the transition from descriptive reporting to interpretive, forward-looking intelligence, directly shaping how the firm understands and responds to market conditions.

Scope & Accountability:

Firm-wide remit spanning Residential, Research, and Finance

Direct accountability for:

• Defining which market signals matter at enterprise level
• Establishing the firm’s leading indicator framework and interpretive standards
• Delivering a coherent market narrative adopted at Partner / Board level
• Operates as a senior, non-hierarchical capability lead, influencing multiple functions (BI, Data Science, Research)
• Regular engagement with Global Head of Research, Head of Residential, the Senior Partner, and executive decision-makers

This role requires a multi-disciplinary, expert-level knowledge base, combining:

Deep understanding of:

• Housing and real estate markets (core and prime segments)
• Credit conditions, mortgage lending cycles, refinancing behaviour
• Macroeconomic indicators and geopolitical drivers

Advanced capability in:

• Interpreting interdependent economic variables and system dynamics
• Distinguishing leading vs lagging indicators and signal vs noise
• Assessing causality limitations (beyond simple correlation)

Practical expertise in:

• Integrating heterogeneous data sources (internal performance + external datasets such as Macrobond)
• Navigating structural constraints (data quality, granularity, timing mismatches, access limitations)

Ability to operate across:

• Analytical domains (Data Science outputs, BI metrics)
• Commercial judgement (market interpretation, strategic implications)

This combination reflects breadth (across functions), depth (economic and analytical expertise), and ambiguity (uncertain, dynamic inputs).

Enterprise Signal Framework:

• Define and continuously evolve a firm-wide signal taxonomy and prioritisation model
• Establish a forward-looking (1–3 year) signal architecture supporting forecasting and scenario planning

Market Narrative Leadership

• Own the Quarterly Market Signals Narrative, synthesising all relevant inputs into:
• A small set of high-priority, decision-relevant signals
• Clear directional judgement and confidence levels
• Explicitly identify:
• Gaps in evidence
• Weak or non-correlating signals and their implications

Cross-Functional Orchestration:

• Set the analytical agenda for BI and Data Science through signal prioritisation
• Ensure alignment of outputs across BI, Data Science, and Research
• Eliminate fragmented or conflicting interpretations at senior level

External Data & Integration Strategy:

• Define enterprise use of external economic datasets (e.g. Macrobond)
• Integrate external indicators with internal performance data to enable causal and contextual insight

Governance & Strategic Influence:

• Establish firm-wide standards for signal definition, interpretation, and narrative consistency
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, directly informing:

• Market positioning
• Investment and resource allocation decisions
• Resonse to macroeconomic and geopolitical shifts

Impact & Value:

Nature of Impact

• Directly influences enterprise-level decision-making, including strategic, commercial, and investment decisions
• Shapes firm-wide understanding of market conditions, replacing fragmented perspectives with a single, coherent view

Scope of Impact

• Impacts multiple business lines globally (Residential, Finance, Research)
• Influences both short-term tactical responses and longer-term strategic positioning

Magnitude of Impact

Enables:

• Faster, higher-confidence decisions in volatile market conditions
• Alignment of resources and strategy with real underlying market drivers
• Establishes a proprietary, defensible capability centred on continuous interpretation of complex market dynamics

Autonomy & Judgement

• Operates with high levels of independent judgement, determining:
• Which signals are material
• How they should be interpreted and communicated
• Accountable for narrative integrity at senior leadership level, without reliance on prescriptive frameworks

Role Profile

• Senior individual contributor with enterprise accountability and board-level influence

Distinguished by:

• Ownership of judgement, synthesis, and narrative authority
• Responsibility for firm-wide decision framing, not execution layers (BI / Data Science)

• A single, authoritative market narrative adopted across senior leadership
• Demonstrable shift from hindsight metrics to leading indicator-based decisions
• Alignment of BI and Data Science outputs to a prioritised signal framework
• Increased decision speed, consistency, and confidence at senior level

Competitive salary

Please note: this is a Direct Search led by Knight Frank. Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted nor will fees be paid for unsolicited CVs, even if provided by PSL agencies.