Customer Researcher

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Variable pay schemes

Extra annual leave up to 5 days

Enhanced employer pension contribute‑t

Health CashBack scheme

Employee assistance programme

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is seeking a Customer Researcher in Cardiff to deliver high-quality insights into customer needs and experiences that inform strategy, services and investment decisions. You will manage quantitative and qualitative research, translating findings for decision-makers and shaping engagement programmes that build trust and support major strategic decisions for customers and communities.

The role requires curiosity about people and social trends, collaboration across teams, and

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. social sciences, psychology, market research, statistics, economics, geography).
• Experience delivering customer or social research (quantitative and/or qualitative).
• Experience designing surveys, discussion guides or research frameworks.
• Experience analysing and interpreting research findings.
• Experience with deliberative or participatory research methods.
• Experience managing external research agencies.

Responsibilities

• 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 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.

Skills

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Research design

Education

Degree in related field

Job description

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), Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business.

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 delivering customer or social research (quantitative and/or qualitative).
• Experience designing surveys, discussion guides or research frameworks.
• 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.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company's required security objectives. We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve. In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.

Dŵr Cymru Cyf, a limited company registered in Wales No. 2366777. Registered office: Linea, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT © Dŵr Cymru Cyf 2019.

Benefits:

• Variable pay schemes (your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could receive an incremental within-band increase and a yearly incentive)
• Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year
• Enhanced employer pension contributions - Up to 11% employer contributions
• Free Mortgage Brokering Services
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
• Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
• Car‑leasing scheme and free on‑site parking at all sites
• Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
• An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family