Customer Experience Design Manager

Woolworths Financial Services; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in South Africa is looking for a Customer Experience Manager to oversee research and insights, guiding customer journeys. The role demands significant experience in Experience Design and Customer Research to enhance customer interactions. Responsibilities include managing project delivery, stakeholder relationships, and team development. The ideal candidate should possess 6+ years of relevant experience and a degree in a related field. This position is based in Wes-Kaap, South Africa, with an application deadline of January 19, 2026.

Qualifications

• 6 – 8 years of experience working in a Financial Services/Consumer/Retail organisation.
• 2 – 4 years’ experience in a Management capacity.
• Demonstrated experience in Experience Design, Customer Journey management and Customer Research.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and deliver Experience Design and Customer Research projects.
• Collaborate with business units to drive cohesive customer experience.
• Develop and implement research methodologies and technologies.
• Manage key supplier relationships and contracts.
• Build and develop the team as per leadership principles.

Skills

Experience Design

Customer Journey Management

Customer Research

Financial Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Undergraduate Qualification in Design / Information Studies / Consumer Behavior / Customer Research

Job description

The Customer Experience Manager is responsible for leading WFS’s research and insights function. This includes managing the WFS Insights Community and producing research- and trend-driven insights that help identify and shape opportunities to enhance the Customer Experience (CX). The role supports both strategic initiatives and BAU priorities by guiding how these are prioritised for maximum customer, employee, and business impact. Additionally, the role oversees the development and maintenance of a centralised experience and insights library.

Operational Direction

• Oversee and take responsibility for the successful delivery of a range of Experience Design and Customer Research projects for WFS across the customer journey.
• Account for all design and research projects and assure implementation of all projects is aligned to the overall customer strategy.
• Collaborate with other business units and product lines to share insights, learnings and best practices. Act as a trusted adviser for customer experience across the WFS product landscape.
• Collaborate with all business units that utilize ED and research services to drive a cohesive customer and employee experience.

Customer Experience Solutions

• Own and manage the broader customer research capability, to facilitate and manage alternative research requirements, based on business need and priority
• Own and manage the broader customer experience design capability, to support both strategic and BAU priorities

Customer Experience Methodologies

• Develop and implement technologies to be employed by the Experience, Brand and Marketing teams to meet work outcomes and identify how technologies can be applied differently to enhance the delivery of tasks.
• Maintain knowledge of local and global industry research methodologies with the aim of improving research delivery within WFS.
• Adhere to Research data policies in line with WFS data standards so that quality data is consistently and appropriately stored, used, and managed.

Partner and Stakeholder Relationships

• Engage proactively with stakeholders and customers to drive the successful involvement of the customer experience function throughout the customer journey.
• Participate in the management and integration of customer experience products across the WFS landscape to initiate new engagement opportunities and strengthen existing synergies.
• Own and manage key supplier relationships and contracts

People Management

• Build, Lead and develop the team in line with WFS leadership principles, overseeing the full employee lifecycle to build and maintain a high-performance culture.
• Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline to ensure the team has the capability to deliver on experience design priorities.

Financial Management

• Contribute to the operational budget and manage financial performance to identify cost‑saving opportunities.
• Apply sound financial management principles to support responsible, informed decision‑making.
• Monitor business area performance and recommend financial adjustments to ensure alignment with goals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION

• Undergraduate Qualification in Design / Information Studies / Consumer Behavior / Customer Research or equivalent fields.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• 6 – 8 years of experience working in a Financial Services/Consumer/Retail organisation
• 2 – 4 years’ experience in a Management capacity, with demonstrated experience in Experience Design, Customer Journey management and Customer Research.

Closing Date: 19 January 2026