At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead UX research to enhance customer loyalty and engagement across John Lewis and Waitrose.
- Company: Join the UK's largest employee-owned business with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, night premium, flexible working, and a supportive work-life balance.
- Other info: Exciting opportunities for career growth and mentorship within a thriving partnership.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on customer experiences while working in a dynamic and inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: Proven UX research leadership and strong qualitative and quantitative skills required.
As a Senior UX Researcher working across Waitrose and John Lewis, you will lead research that shapes loyalty propositions and customer engagement experiences. You will help teams understand what customers value, what builds lasting engagement, and how loyalty connects with the core shopping journey across digital and physical touchpoints. Taking ownership from early discovery through to concept testing and continuous improvement, you will remain a hands-on practitioner while challenging assumptions and helping teams make confident, evidence-based decisions.
In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £5.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.
Expected Salary - Salary up to £60,000, depending on experience
Contract type - Permanent
Location - London Pimlico Head Office
Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work flexibly between the office and home based upon the needs of the business. The team aims for around 2-3 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings.
Key Responsibilities:
- Owning the research plan for loyalty and customer engagement across both brands and agreeing on priorities with stakeholders.
- Leading discovery into customer behaviours and needs to strengthen loyalty propositions.
- Evaluating concepts and live experiences to understand how customers engage with benefits, rewards, and personalisation.
- Independently delivering qualitative and quantitative research with customers and Partners.
- Combining research with behavioural data and customer insight to influence product priorities and design decisions.
- Working alongside each brand's Design and UX Research functions to maintain standards, share reusable insights, and coach colleagues.
- Communicating clear recommendations and tracking how research improves customer understanding, engagement, and loyalty outcomes.
- Embedding ethical, accessible, and inclusive research practices for consent and data handling.
Essential skills/experience you’ll need:
- Research Leadership: Proven experience independently leading UX research and influencing product strategy and design decisions.
- Methodology Expertise: Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills, with sound judgement in method selection, analysis, and interpretation across different project life cycles.
- Commercial Awareness: The ability to navigate ambiguity, understand complete customer journeys, and connect customer needs with business outcomes.
- Stakeholder Alignment: Strong communication and influencing skills to align senior audiences and multiple teams.
- Inclusive Research: Practical knowledge of delivering inclusive, accessible, and ethical research.
Desirable skills/experience you may have:
- Domain Knowledge: Experience in loyalty, rewards, membership, personalisation, or customer engagement.
- Retail/Ecommerce: Experience in the retail sector spanning digital and in-store customer journeys.
- Scale: Experience working across multiple brands or within a large, complex organisation.
- Mentorship: Experience coaching others and elevating research practice.
Closing Date: November 8, 2026
Pay: £52,000.00 - £80,000.00 Annual
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours of Work: 35
Job Level: Partnership Level 7
Where You'll Be Working: London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, SW1V 2QQ
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP
We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.
Important points to note:
It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Senior User Experience Researcher in Bracknell employer: John Lewis
John Lewis is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture where every employee is considered a Partner, sharing in the success and responsibilities of the business. With a focus on innovation and personal growth, employees benefit from flexible working arrangements and a supportive environment that encourages creativity and collaboration. Located in the heart of London, the role of Social Community Executive provides a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse community while contributing to a brand that values kindness, respect, and inclusivity.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior User Experience Researcher in Bracknell
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at John Lewis for a Senior User Experience Researcher, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like John Lewis before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior User Experience Researcher in Bracknell
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Senior User Experience Researcher at John Lewis, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work John Lewis does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to John Lewis. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at John Lewis.
How to prepare for a job interview at John Lewis
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with John Lewis, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. John Lewis might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at John Lewis!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what John Lewis is looking for.
