Customer Insights Manager

Position Title: Customer Insight Manager

Reports to: Head of Customer Insight & Experience

Location: Hybrid, with frequent travel as required, across the U.K.

Position Summary

The role holder will play a crucial role in supporting the business with actionable customer insight to enable customer focused business decision making. Forming part of the Customer Insights team, they will be responsible for designing and managing insight projects to meet the requirements across our portfolio of Local and Specialist Business Units, and Central Support Functions.

They will have a strong background in consumer research, and experience in joining this together with customer analytics and translating into actionable plans.

Acting with integrity, they will role model First Bus values and behaviours (‘Our Way') in all interactions, and through effective leadership and stakeholder management, they will ensure the needs of local authorities, investors, customers, partners, and colleagues are met.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Work with Head of Insight and experience to understand the pain points in customer experience and support the business to understand the customer point of view in more depth.
• Designing insight solutions to address business challenges, both reactively and proactively
• Managing research suppliers and third parties to deliver the required support within budget and ensuring good value for money.
• Supporting with the development of a suitable preferred supplier list to support First Bus insight needs.
• Liaising with communications teams and producing insight content for intranet and other communication channels.
• Working with internal stakeholders and approved external agencies, they will provide insight analysis that enhances our external positioning with customers, local authorities and third parties
• Support the Head of Customer Insight and Experience in creating solutions which enhance the customer experience
• Represent First Bus in meetings with clients and prospective clients, in support of other team members
• Ensure any solutions are articulated in simple, understandable terminology and that the benefits and any associated evidence are included by the Commercial team
• Support and coach Local Business Units and Specialist Business Units, in understanding their customer insight data and profile.

Skills, Experience and Leadership behaviours required

• At least 3 years' experience working for a consumer brand or research agency
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methodologies in Insight and understanding of suitability for the needs of the business challenges e.g., brand tracking, creative testing, NPS, CSAT
• Experience in designing and managing research projects independently.
• Experience in interrogating quantitative data and interpreting qualitative findings and reporting conclusions and recommendations.
• Experience in presenting to audience, both face to face and through virtual means
• A passion for being customer obsessed
• Knowledge of transport industry would be helpful, but not essential
• Ability to lead and motivate stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes
• Capability to develop outline, detailed and final solutions, and articulate these, with supporting benefits and evidence
• Strong interpersonal, leadership and management skills
• A team player, wholly committed to working with and supporting their peer group and other colleagues to achieve the First Bus business strategy
• Can work at pace in a complex operating environment, and able to lead and influence the wider business ensuring there is buy-in to a shared vision for Customer Insight and data, that is people and customer centric to deliver transformational change, whilst staying within a divisional governance framework
• Self-sufficient, down to earth and values driven
• Tenacious and resilient, with the capability to remain calm and work effectively under pressure
• Proven ability to analyse data at a high level to assess risk and take informed commercial decision making.
• Ability to engage with professional leaders in a network and use examples of external best practice and thought leadership to improve internal strategies.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to engage with senior leaders both internally and externally.
• Acts with a high degree of diplomacy and professionalism and the ability to progress tasks with minimal direction
• Commercially astute, emotionally intelligent; and an effective networker and communicator with the ability to quickly forge strong working relationships at all levels and build trust
• Highly motivated with the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
• Advanced IT skills with proficiency in all Microsoft packages.

Behaviours (“our Way”)

• Always care : show warmth and compassion; be fair and respectful; listen intently to others and interpret findings to support business improvement; always think about your customer
• Do what's right: have a can-do attitude; be open and explain the “why”; do what you say you will; do the best you can, every chance you get; challenge behaviours when necessary, across all levels of the business
• Succeed together : work across teams and learn from each other; be supportive of other views and ideas; offer up your knowledge and experience; recognise others; share everyday successes
• Shape the future : see possibilities, not problems; explore ideas big and small; be considerate of others when making decisions; never stop learning and improving

Rewards & Benefits

• Your health is important to us which is why we offer Simply Health & Smart Health for you and your dependents at no cost to you This offering includes cash back benefits across optical & dental as well as virtual GP appointments, mental health support and nutrition and fitness advise. Our EAP provision offers 24hr, 365 days a year mental health support
• We are also committed to your financial wellbeing, and we offer a platform with many discounts on high street brands and supermarkets etc
• Working at First you also receive discounted train travel for you and your family after 6 months service as well as a free bus pass
• Cycle to work scheme
• 25 days' holiday + bank holidays
• Pension scheme and chance to buy discounted First Group shares
• Enhanced maternity / paternity pay
• Flexible working

We put a big focus on physical and mental wellbeing at First Bus. We recognise that anyone can be affected by the stresses and strain of work, or life outside it. You'll find a range of health-promotion initiatives, and you will have 24/7 access to our confidential Employee Assistance Programme.

Please apply now. We look forward to receiving your application.

Public transport serves everyone, whatever their differences. At First Bus, we want to be an employer open to you, no matter what your differences are. We aspire to be an inclusive organisation because diverse backgrounds, thinking and experiences bring so many benefits to our customers, communities and people. We welcome applications from all.

Applicants are advised that background checks will be conducted as a standard part of our recruitment process.