Customer Research Manager in Bradford, Yorkshire

Company description: Water Utility Company based in Yorkshire region of England.

We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience up to £64,000. A car allowance of £500 per month/ £6,000 per year. Annual incentive related bonus (up to 10% of annual salary). Private health care (self only). Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution). Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus an extra two wellness days! A great benefits package choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover. Retail savings scheme. Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: This role will initially be based in Bradford but we are moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in September 2026, so you’ll be based there in the future where we operate a hybrid working approach with two to three office days a week.

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Customer Research Manager to join us here at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers.

What we do! Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. Our Customer Experience team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators.

As our Customer Research Manager, we will need you to lead how we understand our customers and turn insight into action. This is a key leadership role where you’ll shape and deliver high-quality customer research, ensuring robust evidence is at the heart of business decisions, regulatory thinking and customer experience improvements.

Where you fit in! As our Customer Research Manager you will lead the design and delivery of qualitative and quantitative research programmes, combining hands-on expertise with strategic oversight. Lead end-to-end customer research, ensuring insight is robust, proportionate and clearly supports business and regulatory priorities. Personally design and undertake qualitative and quantitative research activity, including customer research, internal workshops and stakeholder engagement. Facilitate workshops with customers and colleagues to support insight generation, discussion and decision-making. Provide expert leadership on research design, methodologies and interpretation. Translate complex data into clear, evidence-based recommendations that drive action. Support the business in interpreting research findings and developing focused, evidence-based action plans. Develop and deliver our customer research and insight strategy. Create and deliver high-quality presentations and insight outputs for senior stakeholders, including executive teams. Build strong relationships across the business to ensure insight shapes key decisions. Lead and develop the insight team, building capability and driving continuous improvement. Commission and manage external research partners, ensuring quality, governance and value for money. Ensure consistent application of best practice and continuous improvement in research methods.

What skills and experience are we looking for? We’re looking for someone who combines strong research expertise with leadership capability and a passion for making insight impactful. You’ll bring:

• Significant experience delivering qualitative and quantitative customer research.
• Strong expertise in research design, analysis and interpretation.
• Proven ability to manage complex research programmes and external agencies.
• Experience translating insight into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage senior audiences.
• Experience leading and developing teams, including coaching and performance management.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise complex data into meaningful insight.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A high-energy, proactive approach—someone who takes ownership, drives activity forward and sees things through to delivery.
• The ability to connect the dots—bringing external insight, best practice and benchmarking into Yorkshire Water to continuously improve how we deliver customer research and insight.

You will also benefit from having:

• Experience working in a regulated or commercially orientated environment.
• Experience within utilities or a comparable sector.
• Experience of business planning, journey mapping, resource management or project management.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience in the above areas and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible with your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role. Closing date for this role is 10th June 2026. No agencies please.