Customer Research & Insight Lead

United Utilities; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Pension contribution up to 14%

Performance bonus up to 20%

Healthcare plan

Flexible hybrid working

Life assurance

Additional benefits

Job summary

United Utilities is seeking a Customer Insight Lead to shape and deliver its customer research and insight programme, ensuring the voice of the customer sits at the heart of strategic decision-making across the business.

You will lead large-scale insight initiatives that influence customer experience, service delivery, regulatory submissions and major investments. The role requires working with senior leaders, regulators and external partners in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading customer insight or market research programmes.
• Deep understanding of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and their application.
• Ability to translate complex insights into actionable recommendations with business impact.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams and delivering large-scale programmes to deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management with credibility at senior internal and external levels.
• Experience managing research budgets, agency relationships and supplier performance.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills with executives and external stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness balancing quality, value and outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Design, deliver and embed a comprehensive customer insight programme for the organisation.
• Lead and manage a wide-ranging programme of qualitative and quantitative research.
• Partner with stakeholders to understand business needs and deliver actionable insights.
• Ensure customer evidence informs strategic decisions and future planning.
• Oversee design, commissioning and delivery of high-quality research programmes.

Skills

Insight programme leadership

Qualitative & quantitative methods

Stakeholder influence

Budget management

Presenting to executives

Commercial awareness

Team leadership

Education

Degree-level education

Job description

Competitive Salary + Bonus + Excellent Benefits
Location: Lingley Mere, Warrington
Hybrid Working: 3 days per week onsite
Hours: 37 hours per week, Full Time

Lead the Voice of the Customer at United Utilities

At United Utilities, every decision we make impacts millions of customers across the North West. That's why understanding our customers' needs, priorities and expectations has never been more important.

We're looking for an experienced Customer Insight Lead to shape and deliver our customer research and insight programme, ensuring the voice of the customer sits at the heart of strategic decision-making across the business.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-profile insight function that influences everything from customer experience and service delivery to major investment decisions and regulatory submissions. You'll work with senior leaders, regulators and external partners to ensure robust customer evidence drives better outcomes for customers, communities and the environment.

If you're passionate about turning research into action, confident leading large-scale insight programmes, and thrive in a fast-paced stakeholder environment, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Doing

As Customer Insight Lead, you'll be responsible for designing, delivering and embedding a comprehensive customer insight programme that supports the whole organisation.

You will:

• Lead and manage a wide-ranging programme of qualitative and quantitative customer research.
• Partner with stakeholders across Customer Services, Communications, Brand, Regulation and Asset Management to understand business needs and deliver actionable insight.
• Ensure customer evidence informs strategic decisions, drives meaningful action and influences future business planning.
• Lead customer research activities supporting regulatory requirements, including Ofwat's Consumer Involvement in Decision-Making Rule and future Price Reviews.
• Oversee the design, commissioning and delivery of high-quality research programmes, ensuring methodological excellence and unbiased approaches.
• Manage and develop a team of insight professionals, creating a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Present insight and recommendations confidently to senior leaders, regulators, external challenge groups and industry stakeholders.
• Act as the organisation's subject matter expert for customer research and insight.
• Own the customer insight budget, ensuring research investment delivers value for money and meaningful business outcomes.
• Manage external research agencies and suppliers, holding partners accountable for quality, rigour and delivery.
• Champion the voice of the customer across the organisation, helping drive better customer and business outcomes.

What We're Looking For

We're seeking an experienced insight professional who combines strong technical research expertise with commercial awareness and the ability to influence at senior levels.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience leading customer insight or market research programmes, either client-side or within a research agency environment.
• A deep understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and their practical application.
• Proven ability to translate complex customer insight into clear recommendations and measurable business impact.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams and delivering large-scale programmes to demanding deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility across senior internal and external audiences.
• Experience managing research budgets, agency relationships and supplier performance.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, including presenting to executive leadership teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance quality, value and outcomes.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing teams.
• Degree-level education and substantial experience within customer insight, customer research or market research.

Experience working within a regulated environment would be advantageous but is not essential.

Why Join United Utilities?

This is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. You'll create the framework that enables some of our most important customer, environmental and infrastructure programmes to be delivered effectively, consistently and at scale.

In return, we offer:

• 26 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after four years, plus bank holidays
• Competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution
• Performance-related bonus of up to 20%
• Company-funded healthcare plan
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Life assurance
• Access to a comprehensive range of additional benefits

Join Us

At United Utilities, we're committed to providing great water, great service and a better future for the North West. As our Customer Insight Lead, you'll play a critical role in ensuring customer needs and expectations shape the decisions we make today and for years to come.