Research Manager

About the roleTo scope, manage, and deliver primary research (qual & quant) generating qualified/validated insight to inform and drive better business decision making and improve customer & partner experience by championing and providing the most complete 360 degree view of our customers

At a glance

• Working pattern  - This is a hybrid working role, therefore your time will be split between working from home and Pimlico.There will be occasional travel to our other offices, shops and agency partner locations.

• Expected Salary for this role is set at £57,500 - £92,000

• Contract type - This position is a maternity cover till February 2026

Key Responsibilities

What you lead

• Lead a variety of research projects to deliver clear, relevant and actionable insight to stakeholders, integrating input from multiple team members across Data Insight & Analytics (DI&A).

• Lead project team including scoping of research objectives and agreeing project plan, timings and budgets with key stakeholders & line manager ensuring research objectives are clear and agreed with key stakeholders, and adopt the most appropriate methodology to deliver robust actionable insights.

What you act as the evangelist for

• Generating the highest quality primary research and triangulating it with data and insight from other sources to complete the picture and make robust and actionable recommendations.

• Complete a case study showcasing the value added through the research insight delivered for each project

Your QA responsibilities

• QA of project design and output across all stages of the process. Deliver concise, articulate and validated insight in a compelling and engaging way using excellent communication and visualisation skills and a persuasive and interesting manner to stakeholders.

The Agencies and supply partners you manage

• Manage agency for project cycle from initial briefing through to wash up and review

• Consider innovative opportunities to reach target groups and stay up to date with new research & data techniques to keep driving expertise capabilities forwards

The products and tool kits you look after

• Maintain a best in class toolkit of our research products and tools including a clear view of usage and optimisation opportunities 

• Own activities related to in-house survey design and sample management via our JLP "Perspectives" customer research panel - including sample design, management of recruitment, fraudulent responses monitoring, email invitations to take part (refreshed design and content to drive engagement) and provide support across the full range of research activities including, report creation and customer feedback analysis and theming, helping with the day to day management of customer panels.

Essential Skills you’ll need 

• Experience in a relevant Insight or Research role, leading significant & strategic research projects

• Extensive hands-on experience proven in designing and delivering complex projects, demonstrating expertise in a range of methodologies e.g. qualitative approaches, discussion guide design, interview moderation and analysis & advanced quantitative research methods, questionnaire design, and data analysis

• Experience in creative / proposition / AB testing & critically evaluating facts, statements and looking at all angles to deliver business cases to Senior stakeholders

• Proficient at distilling insights and implications from data and research and synthesising complex and ambiguous information in order to drive actionable insight

• A confident and experienced storyteller – written and verbal.

• Exceptional problem solving, numerical skills and commercial acumen

• Ability to rapidly learn and self-develop

• Ability to work within mixed, agile teams and skilled at navigating ambiguity

• Extensive (+5 years) relevant experience in research specialisms in Grocery or retail delivering best in class research teams and products, tools and services

• Demonstrable experience of influencing stakeholders at executive and senior levels and in a range of business contexts

• Managing and prioritising a complex and fast moving portfolio of work with appropriate discipline.

• Experience of building/ contributing to high performing teams including, culture development, process matrix management and collaboration with consultancies and partner agencies

• Track record of driving action from research outputs within a consumer brand using the very latest research practices e.g. in house consumer panels and communities; ethnography; observational; pricing; system 1; trade off; AI supported surveys etc

• Experience of collation, interpretation and analysis of multiple sources of data to maximise the triangulation of research outputs

• Highly numerate & analytical with strong communication skills.

• Demonstrable experience of framing issues, conclusions and recommendations to enable quick and sound decision making

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, experience of writing engaging reports and presentations

Desirable Skills

• Experience in more Purpose led & or employee owned environments

• Experience of linking survey and transactional data together

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. If required, you’ll find out more about vetting throughout the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays.

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.