Shopper Insight Manager

IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution); Watford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market leading pension

Bonus scheme

Buy/sell annual leave

Medical insurance

Great work–life balance

Empowered to manage your time

Job summary

IGD is seeking a seasoned Shopper Insight Manager to lead IGD's shopper research programme, shaping insight strategy and engaging senior clients. You will drive thought leadership, oversee content, and raise the profile of IGD's market voice through impactful reports and events.

You will manage a shopper analyst, collaborate with cross-functional teams and develop capabilities within IGD, ensuring insights are commercially relevant and forward-looking for clients across food and grocery sectors.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years’ experience in insight, research, strategy or related field in grocery/retail.
• Strong commercial awareness and strategic influence.
• Credibility presenting to senior/executive audiences.
• Advanced methodologies across qualitative, quantitative, digital and AI tools.
• Ability to interpret complex data and craft a clear story.
• Excellent written English for reports, articles and client outputs.
• Advanced PowerPoint, Excel and Word skills.
• Experience using Q or similar analysis software would be desirable.
• Strong networking and relationship-building with senior stakeholders.
• Line management experience would be desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of IGD's shopper research programme and thought leadership.
• Shape content plan, priorities, resources and budgeting.
• Ensure outputs meet standards for insight, foresight, storytelling and impact.
• Deliver client-ready reports, articles and presentations.
• Engage with clients through events, webinars and advisory sessions.
• Design full research programmes with appropriate methods.
• Collaborate with data teams to innovate reporting and tools.
• Manage, coach and develop a shopper analyst.

Skills

Insight leadership

Client influence

Storytelling

PowerPoint

Excel

Written English

Tools

Q or similar analysis software

Job description

At IGD, we’re proud to be a Great Place to Work, where our people are empowered to grow, inspired to lead and ready to make a difference. At the heart of that experience is how we attract, welcome and support new colleagues to join us.

That’s where you come in.

We’re looking for a Shopper Insight Manager who will bring expertise and thought leadership to IGD’s insight programme, providing insight and foresight that helps our clients understand the forces shaping food, grocery and shopper behaviour.

This is a leadership role designed for someone with a strong reputation for their expertise, knowledge and ability to shape thinking. You’ll play a pivotal role in developing high-impact insight, strengthening client engagement and building IGD’s voice in the market. The role includes line management responsibility and plays an important role in developing future insight capability within IGD.

What you’ll do

Content and thought leadership

You will lead the development and continual evolution of IGD's shopper research programme, ensuring it remains commercially relevant, strategically focused and genuinely useful for clients. You’ll be expected to:

• Shape IGD's shopper insight agenda, innovating in research methods, and bringing thought leadership that influences industry thinking
• Direct, lead and shape the content plan and research programme, including input into priorities, resource allocation and budgeting
• Ensure the team delivers consistently high-quality outputs that meet agreed standards for insight, foresight, storytelling and commercial impact.
• Drive strategic focus areas for IGD’s insight programme, identifying where we can add most value for clients and the wider industry
• Deliver thought-leading reports, articles, presentations and client-ready outputs of the highest standard
• Continuously review content analytics, client feedback and market developments to identify new ideas aligned to strategy and client needs
• Work with marketing, communications and commercial teams to drive awareness of IGD’s insight through all relevant media channels

Customer engagement and influence

A core part of this role is to strengthen IGD’s relationship with clients and the wider industry. You’ll be expected to:

• Proactively engage with clients to understand their challenges, priorities and knowledge gaps, using this to shape the insight programme
• Deliver thought-leading presentations at high-profile IGD and industry events
• Lead strategic client engagement, including deep dives, webinars, advisory sessions and senior stakeholder conversations
• Lead and deliver a programme of client engagement events, forums or advisory boards
• Develop a strong senior-level external network
• Build a client-first mentality across the team by sharing client feedback, market intelligence and examples of what strong engagement looks like

Research and methodology

You will bring an expert perspective to research design, analysis and interpretation, helping IGD produce robust, credible and future-facing insight. You’ll be expected to:

• Provide expert interpretation of research data and insight, integrating multiple sources to create a clear, evidence-based perspective
• Lead and design full research programmes, ensuring the right methodology is used for the right business question
• Advocate for new methodologies and approaches that improve efficiency, strengthen foresight or help close the say-do gap
• Work closely with data and analytics colleagues to innovate reporting, visualisation, tools and processes

People leadership

• Manage, coach and develop a shopper analyst, helping them unlock their potential and progress their career
• Balance team workload, priorities and resources to deliver against objectives
• Set clear objectives and development plans, ensuring strong performance and continued growth

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who combines insight expertise, commercial credibility and strong client influence. You’ll need:

• At least 8-10 years’ experience in insight, research, strategy or a related field, ideally with strong exposure to grocery, retail, FMCG or consumer goods
• Deep knowledge of the industry, with excellent commercial awareness and strategic influence
• Credibility presenting to senior and executive-level audiences
• Advanced methodological capability across qualitative, quantitative research, digital and AI-based tools
• The ability to interpret complex data sets and integrate multiple evidence sources into a clear, compelling story
• Exceptional storytelling skills, with the confidence to shape opinion and provide a clear point of view
• Excellent written English and the ability to produce high-quality reports, articles, presentations and client outputs
• Advanced PowerPoint, Excel and Word skills
• Experience using Q or similar analysis software would be desirable
• Outstanding networking and relationship-building skills, including with senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to coach, develop and inspire others
• Line management experience would be desirable

The rewards

• market leading pension
• bonus scheme
• the ability to buy and sell annual leave
• generous medical insurance package
• great work-life balance
• empowered & trusted to manage your time

The location

We are operating a hybrid approach to working with a mix of home and office-based working. We are based in a very accessible location within the M25, just 20 miles from Central London.

Our behaviours

We’re hungry for better

We solve it together

We make it happen

We say what needs to be said

More about our people

We’re looking for inspiring professionals; talented people who seek personal and career growth and are ambitious to develop their potential and unlock opportunities for society, for our clients and themselves.

We seek and attract the very best people and create an environment that supports and includes them. We aim to encourage a culture where people can be themselves and be valued for their contribution. We welcome applications from diverse candidates. Please discuss any adjustments that you may require throughout the selection and assessment process.

More about IGD

We are a strategic insight foresight and learning organisation. Here to unite the industry and benefit society. We invest all our profit into Social Impact.

We foster collaboration through a broad range of forums, bringing together businesses, policymakers, and thought leaders. By providing evidence-based insights, credible research, and strategic foresight, we help organisations make informed decisions that benefit their operations and contribute to the collective good of society.