Customer Researcher

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City:
Cardiff

Address:
Cardiff, Wales, GB, CF3 0LT

£34,566 – £40,821

Job Requisition Number 9119

Work Type Permanent

Job Function Human Resources & Comms

Salary Range £34,566 - £40,821

Base South East Hub

Closing date 11th October

The Customer Researcher is responsible for supporting and delivering high-quality insight into customer needs, expectations and experiences to inform Welsh Water’s strategy, services and investment decisions. The role supports the design and delivery of research programmes that ensure the customer voice is central to long-term planning, regulatory submissions and day-to-day service improvements.

Working across the organisation, the Customer Researcher will manage both quantitative and qualitative research, translating findings into practical insights for decision-makers. The role will help shape engagement programmes that build trust, inform trade-offs and support major strategic decisions affecting customers and communities.

This role suits someone who combines strong research skills with curiosity about people, behaviours and social trends, and who is motivated by improving essential services for communities across Wales.

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Manage and deliver customer research programmes, including surveys, focus groups, consumer panels, deliberative research and behavioural studies.
• Work with external research agencies and ensure quality, value and methodological rigour.
• Support customer engagement for regulatory business plans and long-term strategy
• Analyse research data and produce clear, actionable insight for strategic and operational decision-making.
• Provide insight into customer priorities, willingness to pay and service expectations
• Develop segmentation models and insight into vulnerable and hard-to-reach customers
• Translate complex research findings into clear executive and board-level briefings.
• Work with internal teams (e.g. strategy, customer service, communications, operations) to embed customer insight into decisions
• Monitor trends in customer attitudes, behaviours and expectations
• Support development of customer engagement tools, panels and community engagement programmes.
• Ensure research complies with ethical, regulatory and data protection standards
• Maintain knowledge of best practice in customer insight, behavioural science and public engagement.
• Support the work of the Independent Challenge Group (and its successor)

The following are essential requirements for the recruitment of the role:

Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. social sciences, psychology, market research, statistics, economics, geography or similar).

• Membership of a professional body (e.g. MRS – Market Research Society) is desirable.

Experience

Experience delivering customer or social research (quantitative and/or qualitative).

Experience analysing and interpreting research findings.

Experience with deliberative or participatory research methods.

Experience managing external research agencies.

Knowledge and Skills

Strong understanding of research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative).

Understanding of customer insight and behavioural drivers.

Knowledge of regulatory customer engagement requirements is desirable.

Awareness of affordability, vulnerability and social equity issues.

Understanding of the UK water sector or public services is desirable.

Applications from candidates who are wanting to work flexibly are welcome for this role

As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

• Variable pay schemes (your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could…