Customer Researcher

Honda Motor Europe Ltd; Theale; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive company located in Theale is seeking a well-rounded psychologist or behavioural scientist. The role involves supporting various research projects, analysing data, and communicating insights. Candidates should have a degree in Behavioural Science or Psychology, along with strong analytical and communication skills. The position offers the chance to influence digital innovation within the organization.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Diversity and Inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a commercial context, driven by business or customer needs.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews to support research projects in behavioural science.
• Analyse quantitative survey data and extract insights.
• Support the development of reports and presentations for stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Proficiency in data analysis tools

Research validity assessment

Education

University degree in Behavioural Science or Psychology

Tools

SPSS

R

Python

Job description

Overview

At Honda we embrace inclusion in our policies, and while contracts state that hours are as required to fulfil the role with a minimum of 37 hours per week, we offer flexibility for when you work. There is no contractual right to work from home, but there is flexibility to work from home provided there is no business requirement to attend the office.

Role: At Honda R&D Europe (UK) Ltd, we understand that people need to be at the centre of digital innovation to enable better experiences, lifestyles and improved well-being, while minimizing unintended consequences. We are developing and integrating robust psychological theory and behavioural science practice to inform business decisions that uphold Honda’s philosophy “to be a company that society wants to exist.”

We are looking for a well-rounded psychologist or behavioural scientist to support the transition from fundamental theory to practice.

The successful candidate will join our Advanced Planning and Research UK (APRUK) team. APRUK is positioned within our Digital Innovation Research Division, focused on demonstrating evidence-based digital innovation beyond Honda’s current business. The team’s ambition is to understand people’s needs and promote digital solutions that support these needs, utilising our in-house technical capability. This is achieved through sensing, scenario planning and behavioural research. The behavioural science stream focuses on understanding the factors that impact future customer needs and influence decisions (and underlying processes) using a variety of methods both traditional and innovative to improve behavioural science research for the future.

This role requires the successful candidate to support a wide variety of research projects and activities, including desk-based research (e.g., literature reviews), supplier engagement and management, small-scale in-house studies, conducting data analysis and generating insights, as well as wider industry engagement. This will be supported by coherent documentation creation to enable key insights to be shared and disseminated to a range of audiences.

We work closely with teams across the business, particularly in the UK with the Decentralised Technology Lab (DTL), to identify new and emerging opportunities that deliver genuine societal value, unique technology, and business sustainability for roll-out to Global Honda. We also support activities by providing consultancy and support to apply the behavioural science lens to existing research questions and business challenges. Stakeholder management is a key requirement, ensuring high quality and agreed timelines are met, including the requirement to work with both the Honda teams and wider external network. Strong communication skills are essential for building working relationships and to develop a comprehensive network both within and outside of the company. Finally, the ideal candidate will be a natural collaborator, who is proactive, adaptable and empathetic and can bring a positive attitude to the role.

Main Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews to support research projects in behavioural science and psychology.
• Analyse quantitative survey data, extract insights, and communicate findings effectively.
• Assist in designing and interpreting behavioural science experiments and studies for internal and external audiences (and experts outside of behavioural science domains).
• Support the development of reports, presentations, and summaries for internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay up to date with the latest research in behavioural science and psychology.
• Research and explore new/emerging trends across different areas of psychology and behavioral science.
• Active engagement in workshops, networking and seminars to support development of ecosystem engagement.
• The role may require travel in both UK & EU, to attend conferences, suppliers, workshops & seminars.

Qualifications, skills and experience

Required

• University degree-level in Behavioural Science, Psychology, or a related field
• Significant experience in a commercial context, driven by business or customer needs
• Strong analytical skills with experience in quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods research
• Proficiency in traditional statistical methods, data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python)
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences
• A flexible approach to work, especially in fast-paced or evolving environments
• Takes ownership of assigned tasks and completes them in a timely manner
• Capability evaluating research validity, methodology, and real-world applicability
• Ability to design small-scale qualitative and quantitative studies across a range of behavioural topics

Desirable

• Good links with industry or academic institutions a plus
• Skills in data visualisation
• Able to integrate knowledge from psychology, economics, sociology, and decision science

Honda is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in the workplace for all employees, temporary workers, contractors, applicants and visitors. Honda also encourages respect for individual differences and talents while making full use of one’s own abilities, based on Honda’s philosophy of respect for the individual.

At Honda, we value and celebrate diversity and are committed to being a fair, non-discriminatory company that promotes and welcomes the uniqueness and differences of people around the world. We recognise that a diverse workforce allows for different ideas and perspectives, and we encourage everyone to share them. We strive to foster a culture of belonging that is consistent with Honda’s core values and lived out in the way we work and respect each other. For us at Honda, diversifying our workforce means increasing its overall strength by providing people with equal opportunities – regardless of personal characteristics or previous careers.

This commitment flows directly from the Honda philosophy and the belief that we are all working towards a common goal. Honda recruits, hires, trains and promotes the most qualified/experienced individuals at all levels without regard to race, origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.