Research Manager

Join us on the Journey...

National Express are recruiting an experienced Research Manager to join the team. The role is hybrid and based at our Head Office in Digbeth, Birmingham. The successful candidate will develop the UK research capability for National Express, that aligns research with business requirements and develops and helps to provide the basis for insight led proposition development.

What you'll do:

• Bring research, analytical, design and reporting expertise to the team, drawing upon a strong combination of both qualitative and quantitative experience.
• Develop the techniques that provide customer led insight working with the Customer Panel and customer analysis function to generate best practice research.
• Be a champion for Research for the business engaging with stakeholders to prioritise the research needs for the business to ensure that Research and insight forms part of all decision making.
• Manage a customer panel of 10K National Express customers and the ability to tap into Nat Rep populations for relevant research requirements.
• Create a mix of standardised and ad-hoc research to positively impact the 2025 and beyond business and customer objectives
• Use a variety of research methodologies to ensure all research is accurate, timely and provides the relevant business area actionable insight, as well as working on Competitive and Market analysis
• Ability to work with tools such as YouGov and interpret results for meaningful and useful insight for both the Brand and competitors
• Understand and able to work on best practice questionnaire design as well as working with different research techniques, such as Panels and Focus Groups
• Pro-actively develop strategy led market sizing model across group, informing the business of potential markets, penetration into these and customer positioning (life-stage, attitudinal etc.)
• Work with the CRM, Data and Insight team, as well as wider marketing team to influence proposition, creative and targeting approach across all business areas
• Effective management of research budget in line with Head of Customer Data, Insight and Research
• Development of marketing strategies to meet individual business/product objectives and to contribute to the strategic development of overall National Express brand, ensuring that all marketing activity is in line with overall brand strategy
• Support the development of annual product/business marketing plans through identification of insight led strategies and applications for growth and business development
• Work closely with the Commercial Directors, Product Managers, sales, revenue management and retail functions to analyse current sales/market performance and identify, pre-evaluate and recommend campaigns to support commercial objectives through the use of relevant research

What you'll need:

• Educated to degree level. Market Research professional qualification desirable
• Strong research led background both in qualitative and quantitative research, with experience of agency management and management of customer panels
• Experience of managing and delivering a portfolio of research projects to tight deadlines
• Ability to present, explain and interpret data or analysis to non-technical audiences and senior stakeholders
• Commercially astute
• Ability to collaborate, manage, influence and motivate across organisational boundaries

What we offer in return for your hard work and commitment...

• Free Bus & Coach travel for yourself
• Complimentary coach travel for a Nominated Person or complimentary bus travel for a Spouse or Partner
• 50% discount for friends and family on full fares on our coach services
• Life Assurance
• Company pension
• Employee Assistance programme
• Private online GP service

National Express is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and should you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process please let us know.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications before the advertised closed date.

Things to Note...

At National Express, we are really proud of our health and safety record and as a result, we operate a Drugs and Alcohol Policy which is applicable to all employees.

As part of your initial assessment, we will complete Drug and Alcohol testing and you may be subject to random tests during your employment.