Customer Insight Specialist

SUMMARY:
My client, a big name in the retail and franchising space, is looking for a Customer Insight Specialist to lead the charge in uncovering what makes our customers tick and translating those insights into unforgettable products, services, and experiences.

This role is perfect for a tech-and insight-savvy professional with a background in consumer research, UX, or behavioural science who thrives on pattern recognition, emotional storytelling, and creative problem-solving.

This role is based in Centurion. 

EE: Open 

POSITION INFO:
Minimum requirements:

• Degree in Consumer Science, marketing, UX Design, Behavioural Science or similar,
• At least 2 years of experience in customer insight, journey mapping, or UX research.
• Excellent analytical skills - able to turn messy data into clear stories and action points.
• Proficiency in AI tools, dashboards, or data visualisation platforms.
• Outstanding storytelling and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, travel and engage in field-based research.

• Experience in QSR, retail, FMCG, or innovation-led environments.
• Strong visual reporting, or multimedia storytelling skills (photo, video, infographics).
• Passion for food, people and behavioural patterns.

• Lead customer journey mapping, identifying friction points and opportunities for delight.
• Conduct field research via in-store visits, interviews, stealth observations, and digital interactions.
• Analyse behaviour and preferences including decision-making patterns, taste profiles, and pain points.
• Run quick-turn research around in-store pilots, packaging changes, and product rollouts.

• Build structured customer feedback systems (focus groups, QR surveys, digital forms, loyalty data).
• Use tools like ChatGPT, Qualtrics, Al, and mobile AI apps to automate transcription, tagging, and sentiment analysis.
• Use computer vision and other AI tools to assess customer engagement with physical store elements.

• Translate customer insights into actionable product briefs and experience strategies.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, NPD, and Ops to align findings with project needs.
• Participate in weekly "Insight War Rooms" to pitch ideas and rapid interventions.
• Generate a monthly Customer Pulse Report to guide cross-functional planning.

• Conduct trend analysis and competitive audits to anticipate shifts in consumer behaviour.
• Lead regional insight gathering in South African and selected African markets.
• Partner with external research agencies, to build in-house research capability.