Principal, Cust-Centric Rsrch

TEP Tucson Electric Power Company; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

TEP Tucson Electric Power Company is searching for a Principal for Customer Centric Research focused on improving customer experiences through data-driven strategies. This role requires a strong background in research and customer insights while fostering alignment across departments.

The ideal candidate will possess leadership skills, expertise in customer experience research, and proficiency in multiple analytical tools. Your work will directly influence customer loyalty and satisfaction metrics, fostering innovation throughout the organization.

Qualifications

• Four or more years of professional experience as a Project Manager.
• Strong background in customer and employee experience research.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct preparatory research to understand customer needs.
• Design personas and journey maps, identify opportunities.
• Facilitate ideation sessions and collaborate with IT.

Skills

Expertise in Human‑Centered Design

Proficient in SQL

Strong communication skills

Leadership skills

Education

Undergraduate degree in a related field

Tools

Python

R

Oracle

Qualtrics

JD Power

Escalent

Medallia

Job description

Overview

Lead enterprise‑wide, data‑driven decision‑making by translating insights into strategies that enhance customer and employee experiences. Design and implement Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee programs to inform business decisions at all levels. Conduct research on industry best practices and innovations to develop scorecards, action plans, and experience optimization strategies. Mine and synthesize feedback from multiple channels (surveys, transcripts, social media, etc.) to identify trends and drive improvements. Facilitate workshops and consulting engagements to assess current state, identify gaps, and create roadmaps for experience transformation. Collaborate with executives and cross‑functional teams to ensure alignment and execution of experience‑focused initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct preparatory research to understand customer needs, including interviews, observations, surveys, and immersive studies.
• Design personas, journey maps, and identify “How Might We” opportunities.
• Facilitate ideation sessions (future‑state journey mapping, card sorting, sketching, prototyping).
• Make recommendations for new processes, services, programs, and products based on research insights.
• Collaborate with IT to define the CX IT roadmap and develop minimally viable products.
• Champion the implementation of CX strategy and foster a customer‑focused culture across the organization.
• Engage with other Customer Insights teammates on trend collection, competitive insights, and industry updates.
• Communicate customer‑centric innovative technologies and opportunities to the ET&I team and other stakeholders.
• Advocate for customer needs throughout organizational engagement and decision‑making.
• Develop and present business cases for new products, processes, or solutions at all levels.
• Define expected outcomes, track metrics, and demonstrate the success or failure of initiatives launched.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a related field.
• Four or more years of professional experience as a Project Manager, or two or more years as a Program Manager.
• Proficient in SQL, Python, R, Oracle, Qualtrics, JD Power, Escalent, and Medallia.
• Strong background in customer and employee experience research (survey design, focus groups, advisory panels).
• Expertise in Human‑Centered Design, journey mapping, and change management.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with a track record of building consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Deep understanding of customer trust, loyalty, and advocacy, with measurable success in improving these metrics.
• Experience developing and leading CX governance structures and ambassador programs.
• Ability to develop internal and external consensus with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Leadership skills: ability to influence, coach, and mentor matrixed team members.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or related advanced degree.
• Three years of relevant experience in the utility industry with technical competence.
• Three years of CX and/or UX experience, with a relevant certification.

Full job description Position Description The Principal for Customer Centric Research is responsible for researching customer centric behaviors and technologies that will further improve our customers’ experience with us to the point it translates into increased loyalty, customer satisfaction, and net promoter scores. This role is responsible for capturing the voice of the customer and working cross‑functionally to deliver meaningful and diverse customer experiences. The candidate must be a champion of insights‑driven strategy, evidence‑based decision making, and continuous innovation. This individual in this role will deliver powerful stories through complex data, generates deep insight into the needs, motivations, passions, and challenges in the lives of our client’s customers by translating the information into strategies and services that elicit valuable customer behaviors.