Insight - Research Lead

Premier-Inn; Dunstable; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 20% bonus

Up to 10% pension contributions

Healthcare

Job summary

Premier Inn is looking for an experienced Research Lead to turn guest feedback into clear insights that shape service standards, food and beverage, and guest segmentation. Based in Dunstable with a mix of on-site and remote work, you will report to the Senior Insight Manager and drive key research initiatives.

You will design and deliver blended qualitative and quantitative studies, run an online community of roughly 8,000 guests, and bring together research, CX data and market evidence to

Qualifications

• Experience of client-side or agency research work.
• Strong hands-on qualitative and quantitative research capability.
• Previous line-management or people development experience.
• Ability to turn complex findings into clear stories and recommendations.
• Strong stakeholder, project and agency-management skills.
• Good data literacy; not required to be a statistician or analyst.
• Understanding of research ethics and data protection.
• Hospitality, travel, retail or other customer-led background advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects from brief through to final recommendations.
• Design and deliver qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Manage the workflow of research through our guest community (~8,000 members).
• Synthesize existing research and data to identify opportunities and risks.
• Line-manage and develop a Research Executive and coach throughout the lifecycle.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Commercial and Operations.

Skills

Research experience

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Line management

Storytelling

Stakeholder management

Data literacy

Research ethics

Job description

Research Lead

Location: Dunstable, Bedfordshire (LU5 5XE) - 3 days per week, with 2 days from home or another location

Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 dependant on skills & experiences + up to 20% bonus + up to 10% pension contributions + healthcare + bens

Role Type: Permanent

Function: Customer Engagement

At Premier Inn, understanding our guests is central to how we improve their experience and make better business decisions. We’re looking for an experienced Research Lead who can turn customer evidence into clear, compelling insight that shapes everything from our service standards, and food and beverage offer to how we understand and engage different guest segments.

You will be reporting to the Senior Insight Manager, and lead research projects from initial brief through to final recommendations. Assignments will vary significantly, with some delivered within days and others spanning several months. You’ll partner with senior stakeholders across Commercial and Operations, helping them translate business challenges into focused research questions and practical action.

You’ll design and deliver a blend of qualitative and quantitative research, using approaches such as interviews, customer surveys, and site intercepts. Responsible for running the workflow of research through our online community of approximately 8,000 guests. You’ll also bring together existing research, customer experience data and wider market evidence to identify opportunities, risks and gaps in our understanding.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to major initiatives, including a significant customer segmentation programme, the launch of a guest-obsessed customer closeness programme and Ad hoc research which directly shapes propositions and strategy.

Alongside managing external research partners and building trusted relationships with senior leaders, you’ll line manage and develop a Research Executive, providing coaching throughout the research lifecycle.

What we’re looking for

• Research experience, gained client-side or within an agency
• Strong hands-on qualitative and quantitative research capability
• Previous line-management, coaching or people-development experience
• Confidence turning complex findings into clear stories and recommendations
• Strong stakeholder, project and agency-management skills
• Good data literacy, without needing to be a statistician or analyst
• An understanding of research ethics, data protection and good practice

Experience within hospitality, travel, retail or another customer-led organisation would be advantageous.

If you’re passionate about ensuring the guest voice genuinely influences decisions, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re proud to be a Top Employer for 14 consecutive years, a top apprenticeship employer, a Leader in Stonewall’s Proud Employer Accreditation, and a Top 25 Exemplary Employer in the Investing in Ethnicity Parliamentary Matrix.