Customer Researcher

At Honda we embrace inclusion in our various policies, so whilst our contracts state that the hours are as required to fulfil the role with a minimum of 37 hours per week, we offer flexibility for when you work, and whilst there is no contractual right to work from home, there is also flexibility to work from home, providing there is no business requirement to attend the office.

Role: 
At Honda R&D Europe (UK) Ltd, we understand that people need to be at the centre of digital innovation to enable better experiences, lifestyles and improved well-being, while minimizing unintended consequences. We are working to develop and integrate robust psychological theory and behavioural science practice to inform business decisions that will, in turn, help us to continue to uphold Honda’s philosophy ‘to be a company that society wants to exist’.

We are looking for a well-rounded psychologist or behavioural scientist to support with the transition from fundamental theory to practice.

The successful candidate will join our Advanced Planning and Research UK (APRUK) team. APRUK is positioned within our Digital Innovation Research Division which is focused on demonstrating evidence-based digital innovation beyond Honda’s current business. The team’s ambition is to understand people’s needs & promote digital solutions that support these needs utilising our in-house technical capability. This is achieved through the combination of sensing, scenario planning & behavioural research. The behavioural science stream focuses on understanding the factors that impact future customer needs and influence decisions (and underlying processes) utilising a variety of methods both true and tested, as well as innovative methods that can help improve behavioural science research for the future.

This role requires the successful candidate to support with a wide variety of research projects and activities, including desk-based research (e.g. literature reviews), supplier engagement and management, small-scale in-house studies, conducting data analysis and generating insights, as well as wider industry engagement. This will be supported by coherent documentation creation to enable key insights to be shared and disseminated to a range of audiences.

We work closely with teams across the business, particularly in the UK with the Decentralised Technology Lab (DTL), to identify new and emerging opportunities that deliver genuine societal value, unique technology, and business sustainability for roll-out to Global Honda. We also support activities, by providing consultancy and support, to apply the behavioural science lens to existing research questions and business challenges.

Stakeholder management is a key requirement, ensuring high quality and agreed timelines are met, including the requirement to work with both the Honda teams and wider external network. Strong communication skills are essential for building working relationships and to develop a comprehensive network both within and outside of the company. Finally, the ideal candidate will be a natural collaborator, who is proactive, adaptable and empathetic and can bring a positive attitude to the role.

Main Responsibilities: 

• Conduct literature reviews to support research projects in behavioural science and psychology.
• Analyse quantitative survey data, extract insights, and communicate findings effectively.
•  Assist in designing and interpreting behavioural science experiments and studies for internal and external audiences (and experts outside of behavioural science domains)
• Support the development of reports, presentations, and summaries for internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay up to date with the latest research in behavioural science and psychology.
• Research and explore new/emerging trends across different areas of psychology and behavioral science
• Active engagement in workshops, networking and seminars to support development of ecosystem engagement
• The role may require travel in both UK & EU, to attend conferences, suppliers, workshops & seminars. 

Qualifications, skills and experience: Required/Desirable
Required

• University degree-level in Behavioural Science, Psychology, or a related field
• Significant experience in a commercial context, driven by business or customer needs
• Strong analytical skills with experience in quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods research
• Proficiency in traditional statistical methods, data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python)
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences
• A flexible approach to work, especially in fast-paced or evolving environments
• Takes ownership of assigned tasks and completes them in a timely manner
• Capability evaluating research validity, methodology, and real-world applicability
•  Ability to design small-scale qualitative and quantitative studies across a range of behavioural topics

Desirable

• Good links with industry or academic institutions a plus
• Skills in data visualisation
• Able to integrate knowledge from psychology, economics, sociology, and decision science

Honda is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in the workplace for all employees, temporary workers, contractors, applicants and visitors. Honda also encourages respect for the individual differences and talents of others while making full use of one's own abilities, based on Honda's philosophy of respect for the individual.

At Honda, we value and celebrate diversity and are committed to being a fair, non-discriminatory company that promotes and welcomes the uniqueness and differences of people around the world. We recognise that a diverse workforce allows for different ideas and perspectives, and we encourage everyone to share them. We strive to foster a culture of belonging that is consistent with Honda's core values and lived out in the way we work and respect each other. For us at Honda, diversifying our workforce means increasing its overall strength by providing people with equal opportunities - regardless of personal characteristics or previous careers.

This commitment flows directly from the Honda philosophy and the belief that we are all working towards a common goal. Honda recruits, hires, trains and promotes the most qualified/experienced individuals at all levels without regard to race, origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.