Head - Customer Insights

Forward; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward is seeking a leader to establish and scale an always-on customer intelligence function. You will design and execute research programs spanning qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic, and digital methods, while building an in-house capability to reduce external dependence.

The role focuses on segmentation, behavioural science, and insights activation to drive commercial outcomes. Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Actuarial and Sales to embed customer insights in strategy and

Responsibilities

• Build continuous, always-on customer intelligence capability spanning qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic, and digital methodologies
• Establish always-on listening across app, agent, claims, NPS, and social touchpoints
• Develop in-house research capability to reduce agency dependence
• Create a structured voice-of-customer system feeding real-time business decisions
• Own dynamic segmentation using behaviour-based neuroscience and ensure embedding in product, marketing, and service delivery
• Design nudges and behavioural frameworks to improve acquisition, engagement, and retention and run controlled experiments to test interventions
• Translate insights into commercial impact by linking to revenue, profitability, activation, cross-sell and claims reduction
• Build the function with people, tools, governance, and calendar to sustain long-term insights capabilities
• Influence roadmaps and pricing strategies using unmet needs and willingness-to-pay data
• Lead cross-functional stakeholder briefings and embed customer insight as the common language across teams

Job description

Role & responsibilities

1. Customer Intelligence & Research

Build a continuous, always-on customer intelligence capability that replaces periodic, project-based research.

• Design and run primary research programs spanning qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic, and digital methodologies
• Establish always-on listening across key touchpoints including app, agent, claims, NPS, and social
• Build in-house research capability progressively to reduce agency dependence
• Develop a structured voice-of-customer system that feeds into business decisions in real time .

2. Segmentation & Persona Architecture

Own a dynamic, behaviour-based neuroscience segmentation model that is actively used across the business, not just documented.

• Redesign segmentation from static demographic cuts to behaviour-based clusters that evolve with data
• Ensure segmentation is embedded in product design, marketing briefs, and service delivery
• Build persona frameworks that are simple enough for frontline teams to use and rigorous enough for actuarial and product teams to trust

3. Behavioural Science & Nudge Design

Apply behavioural economics to improve acquisition, engagement, health compliance, and retention outcomes.

• Design nudge architectures within journeys that drive measurable behaviour change
• Apply frameworks like choice architecture, loss aversion, defaults, and social proof to customer-facing decisions
• Run controlled experiments to test and iterate interventions before scaling
• Partner with the digital and product teams to embed behavioural design into the customer experience

4. Insights Activation & Commercial Impact

Ensure research translates into decisions, not decks.

• Connect insights directly to business metrics: enhanced revenue, profitability, retention, activation, cross sell, and claims reduction
• Brief senior leadership with clear, commercially relevant customer narratives
• Influence product roadmap and pricing strategy using unmet needs and willingness-to-pay data

5. Research Function Build-out

Build the people, tools, and processes that make this a durable organisational capability.

• Hire and develop a high-quality insights team over a defined timeline
• Select and implement the right research toolstack including survey platforms, analytics tools, and CRM integration
• Define research governance: methodologies, quality standards, and vendor management frameworks
• Create a research calendar that balances strategic long-term studies with tactical turnaround requests

6. Cross-functional Stakeholder Influence

Make customer insight the common language across Marketing, Product, Actuarial, Sales, Digital, Health Management, Persistency and other teams.

• Run regular insight briefings and customer immersion sessions for key internal stakeholders
• Build credibility with data-skeptical functions by consistently tying research to commercial outcomes
• Develop a shared segmentation and persona language that all teams reference in planning and execution .