Customer Research Expert in Coventry

At Severn Trent, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re in the top % of utility companies worldwide when it comes to employee engagement and ranked as a Top UK Employer on Glassdoor. Join us in making a positive impact on the environment and our communities, while being valued and supported in a truly inclusive workplace.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, friendly, and highly skilled customer research team within our Economic Regulation function. As we prepare for our next business plan submissions to Ofwat, you’ll play a central role in shaping how we understand and respond to the needs, expectations, and priorities of our customers.

You’ll help design and deliver a robust, wide-ranging programme of customer research to inform our long‑term strategy, future infrastructure investments, and service improvements. Your work will directly influence key business decisions and help ensure that our future plans remain both affordable and genuinely reflective of our customers’ views.

We are seeking an experienced market research professional to lead and deliver a continuous programme of high‑quality insights. You’ll draw on both established and innovative research techniques to uncover meaningful customer perspectives and help guide strategic decision‑making across the organisation.

You will manage a diverse portfolio of projects—from ongoing tracking studies to bespoke research supporting business planning—and will be comfortable owning multiple complex pieces of work simultaneously.

What you’ll be doing:

• Work collaboratively with teams across Severn Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy to design and embed an ongoing programme of customer research and insight that informs investment decisions and strategic priorities.
• Lead the delivery of quantitative and qualitative research projects—both externally commissioned and delivered in‑house—ensuring outputs meet high standards of rigour and withstand executive and regulatory scrutiny.
• Provide expertise on strategic research topics (e.g., long‑term planning, investment strategy), rather than tactical or customer experience‑focused studies.
• Write a substantial portion of the customer engagement sections in key strategic documents such as PR (–), Water Resources Management Plans, Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans, and consultation responses for Ofwat.
• Support internal teams, particularly Communications, by advising on research methods, preparing briefs, and producing clear, actionable insight reports.
• Critically evaluate research findings to inform business planning and future service levels.
• Present compelling insights to both internal and external audiences, including quarterly Customer Insight Sharing Sessions open to all colleagues.
• Chair a quarterly network of customer insight professionals across the business, facilitating collaboration and reducing duplication.
• Oversee the management of ongoing research tools, including customer tracker surveys and our customer panel, TapChat.
• Produce a quarterly TapChat newsletter, sharing recent findings and how we have acted on customer feedback.
• Provide coaching and guidance to less experienced members of the research team.

How we work:

You’ll be based at our Severn Trent Centre in Coventry. With this being such a critical role, we’re looking for someone who can join us hours a week. You’ll join a caring culture that collaborates to achieve, grow, and develop. Our employee engagement scores are among the highest globally in energy and utilities. That’s why we value in-person moments to keep our culture alive but also understand the flexibility working from home can bring. So, you’ll usually find us in the office, but working from home is supported, when you need it.

What we’re looking for:

Essential:

• Minimum of five years’ experience in a client‑side or agency‑side research role, ideally involving sole responsibility for large, complex or high‑value projects.
• Strong knowledge of market and social research methodologies and their practical application.
• Thorough understanding of the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct.
• Proven experience in commissioning and delivering both quantitative and qualitative research, including managing suppliers.
• Demonstrable ability to write research briefs, questionnaires, discussion guides, and detailed insight reports.
• Strong track record of producing formal, high‑quality written documents without reliance on AI tools.
• Comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously and working to tight deadlines.
• Experience building strong relationships and presenting to both expert and non‑expert audiences.
• Excellent written communication skills and strong attention to detail.
• Good understanding of GDPR within a research context, including conducting DPIAs.

Desirable:

• Membership of the Market Research Society.
• Experience managing customer tracking programmes.
• Experience running online research communities, including survey design, analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to develop stimulus materials for workshops and focus groups, translating complex topics into accessible concepts.
• Experience moderating focus groups and depth interviews.
• Familiarity with Qualtrics and Microsoft Forms.
• Experience conducting willingness‑to‑pay research.
• Knowledge of working within a regulated utilities environment.

Capabilities:

• Outstanding written communication skills and genuine enjoyment of writing.
• Ability to convey complex information clearly to a wide range of audiences.
• Strong time‑management skills and the ability to work independently.
• Proactive approach to continuous improvement and learning.
• Proficiency across Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Understanding of key statistical principles such as significance testing and sampling methodologies in market research.

Qualifications:

• Degree‑level education in any discipline.
• Ideally, MRS Advanced Certificate in Market & Social Research Practice or the MRS Diploma.

Skills and experience are important, but character, positivity, and a caring attitude matter too. We welcome and celebrate diverse individuals, knowing they help us better serve our communities. We seek people who get involved, want to be part of something bigger, and make a difference because they care.

How we’ll reward and care for you:

It’s not just a job you’ll get here, you’ll get a career too. We have a range of benefits that reward and recognise great work and award-winning training to ensure you reach your potential. And we’ll also help you play your part in looking after the environment and the community in which we live.