×

Jamie Bains, Insights Executive

Jamie joined M·E·L Research as an Insights Executive in June 2026, following over three years’ experience in mixed-methods policy, cultural, and heritage research. 

His passion for values-driven research began at university and sparked a flame for social justice. His undergraduate study explored contemporary social inequalities, international political history, and cultural studies. His dissertation focused on the Punk rock movement, analysing the marginalisation of dissenting, under-represented voices in musical culture and political movements. 

Jamie’s first research job came during these studies, when he joined the Department for Work and Pensions for a placement role in 2019. He supported and led a range of qualitative research projects across the UK. After graduating in 2021, he then joined Channel 4, where he worked with flagship advertisers such as Galderma, Sainsbury’s, and Colgate to deliver in-depth quantitative insights about their campaigns’ reach and viewership.

He then dived back into academia in 2023, embarking on a master’s degree in Decolonial Thought and Social Theory. Digging deeper into British social histories, Jamie’s studies involved investigating portrayals of inequality in popular culture, domestic and international sociological theory, and a dissertation focused on the experience of the Windrush generation via British televisual archives.  

Between 2025-26, Jamie worked as a freelance researcher for a broad range of cultural and heritage sector clients, including Leeds Heritage Theatres, Howard Assembly Rooms, and Breaking Barriers Rochdale. This involved start-to-end management and support of research and evaluation projects, with a keen dedication for ensuring both a high standard of work and establishing long-lasting relationships with those he worked with. 

Outside of work, Jamie is, in no particular order, a music nerd, amateur birdwatcher, below-average darts player, avid documentary viewer, and vice-captain of his Sunday league football team.  

Sociology and Politics BSc – Cardiff University

Decolonial Thought and Social Theory MSc – University of Leeds

Related Sectors

Related Services

Services

customer experience

Customer Experience Research

We have extensive experience in helping organisations, especially within the housing, local and national government, health, regulatory, environmental and voluntary sectors understand their customers’ needs, measure satisfaction and identify priorities for improvement.

View service

Services

Hands in a circle Employee Experience Research Agency

Employee Experience Research

Our involvement in providing a voice to employees through employee experience research is driven by the fact that workplace experiences have critical impacts upon an individual’s financial security, social mobility, physical health and mental wellbeing.

View service

Services

evaluation

Evaluation & Learning Partner

Evaluation is a key part of our business name and we apply rigorous, but practical evaluation techniques to help clients assess the impact and outcome of their project or programme; to determine what works and what doesn’t, why it works and how it can work more effectively.

View service

Services

qual

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is all about gathering rich, detailed understanding and insight, that is often difficult to do through surveys and questionnaires. It allows us to research more complex issues and understand why people think and behave in the way they do.

View service

Services

quant

Quantitative Research

We have over 35 years’ experience in running quantitative research studies for a range of public services clients; from residents consultations to health and well-being studies to Survey of Tenants And Residents (STAR) projects amongst others.

View service
Cookie Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible.

Cookies are stored in your browser and perform functions such as recognising when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. They help us improve our service to you and others.