Customer Experience Design Manager

About the role

Waitrose is looking for a Customer Experience Design Manager (internally called Experience Design Manager) to join its team at the Bracknell Head Office. The role plays a pivotal strategic part in defining the end-to-end Waitrose experience for food lovers, leading the design of key customer journeys and concepts and partnering with cross-functional matrix teams. The position is permanent, pays up to £72,000 depending on experience, and follows a hybrid pattern with three days in the office (core days Tuesday and Wednesday).

Key responsibilities

• Develop the end-to-end food lovers experience, the 3-year CX plan and the associated budget.
• Translate customer insights into clear, actionable priority experiences.
• Lead complex, cross-functional value stream priorities, working with Store Concept Design and other matrix teams.
• Use evidence-based rationale and customer voice to align stakeholders from C-suite executives to peers.
• Apply systems thinking to connect people, processes, technology and environments into a coherent omnichannel experience.
• Design and lead test-and-learn activities and set design quality standards within a CX toolkit.
• Coach and develop team capability to improve consistency, pace and impact.

Required profile

• Experience in design-led, human-centred or service design environments.
• Proven track record of defining and delivering end-to-end experience improvements.
• Ability to shape priorities and direction, not just outputs, across short-term delivery and longer-term transformation.
• Proven ability to engage, present to and influence stakeholders at all levels, including C-suite.

Required skills

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, combining analytical rigor with emotional resonance.
• Desirable: experience in complex, multi-channel organisations and working alongside product, digital or operational teams.

What we offer

• Permanent contract, 35 hours per week, hybrid working.
• Up to £200 towards tutored courses, 25% off John Lewis and 20% off Waitrose after 90 days, holiday and leave, pension and life assurance, and partner hotel stays.
• Two-stage interview process: a virtual first stage followed by an in-person second stage at the Bracknell office.