Customer Experience Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Customer Experience Design Manager

Company: John Lewis Partnership

Location: Bracknell, United Kingdom

Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Category: Customer Experience Design / Operations

Date Posted: September 07, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the strategic design and enhancement of the end-to-end customer experience for Waitrose's "Food Lovers" segment, focusing on eliminating pain points and amplifying passion points.

• Lead complex, cross-functional value stream priorities, collaborating closely with Store Concept Design and other matrix teams to deliver cohesive customer outcomes.

• Champion a data-driven and human-centered approach to experience design, translating customer insights into actionable strategies that drive commercial performance and customer loyalty.

• Develop and manage the Customer Experience (CX) plan and associated budget, ensuring alignment with overarching business objectives and the Waitrose brand ambition.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "Customer Experience Design Manager," has significant operational oversight and strategic influence akin to a Senior Operations or GTM Strategy role within a customer-centric retail environment. The emphasis on "end-to-end experience," "cross-functional leadership," and "commercial performance" points to a need for robust operational planning and execution capabilities, not just design aesthetics. The "Food Lovers" focus implies a deep understanding of customer segmentation and targeted GTM strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Experience Design: Develop and execute the end-to-end customer experience strategy for Waitrose's "Food Lovers" segment, including a comprehensive 3-year CX plan and associated budget. Translate customer insights, research, and data into clear, compelling, and actionable priority experiences.

• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration: Lead and manage complex, cross-functional value stream priorities. Partner effectively with Store Concept Design, Product, Digital, and Operational teams to ensure seamless customer journey design and execution across all touchpoints.

• Stakeholder Influence & Communication: Articulate complex design strategies and customer rationale to a diverse audience, including C-suite executives, senior leaders, and cross-functional peers. Utilize evidence-based insights and compelling storytelling to inspire enthusiasm, build consensus, and drive alignment for CX initiatives.

• Systems Thinking & Omnichannel Integration: Apply a holistic systems thinking approach to connect people, processes, technology, and physical/digital environments, ensuring a coherent and integrated omnichannel customer experience.

• Test, Learn, and Standards Development: Design, implement, and oversee test-and-learn activities to validate the practicality, scalability, and effectiveness of proposed solutions. Establish and maintain clear design quality standards and contribute to the development of an overall CX toolkit for the organization.

• Capability Building & Mentorship: Coach and develop the capabilities of team members and cross-functional partners in experience design practices, fostering consistency, pace, and impact across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic vision, operational execution, and stakeholder management. The "Cross-Functional Leadership" and "Systems Thinking" aspects are critical for operations professionals, requiring them to connect disparate parts of the business to achieve a unified customer outcome. The "Test, Learn, and Standards Development" highlights a need for a data-driven, iterative approach common in operations roles focused on continuous improvement.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Business, Marketing, Psychology, or a related field is typically expected. A Master's degree or relevant certifications in Service Design, CX, or Design Thinking are advantageous. Experience:

• Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in design-led, human-centered, or service design environments.

• Proven track record of defining, designing, and successfully delivering end-to-end experience improvements that have demonstrably impacted customer behavior and commercial performance.

• Experience in shaping strategic priorities and direction, not just executing defined outputs, demonstrating leadership and foresight.

• Experience operating within both short-term delivery cycles and longer-term transformation initiatives. Required Skills:

• Strategic Experience Design: Ability to develop comprehensive CX strategies, translate customer insights into actionable plans, and manage budgets for CX initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration: Demonstrated success in leading diverse, cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration, and driving alignment towards shared goals in complex organizational structures.

• Exceptional Communication & Influencing: Superior ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to all levels of stakeholders, from C-suite to front-line staff, using both analytical rigor and empathetic storytelling.

• Systems Thinking: Proficiency in understanding and mapping complex systems, identifying interdependencies, and designing integrated solutions across multiple channels and touchpoints.

• Human-Centered/Service Design Methodologies: Deep expertise in applying human-centered design principles, service design frameworks, journey mapping, persona development, and user research techniques.

• Data Analysis & Insight Generation: Ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative data to identify customer pain points, opportunities, and measure the impact of CX initiatives.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working in complex, multi-channel retail organizations.

• Experience collaborating closely with product management, digital development, and operational teams to bring CX designs to life.

• Familiarity with agile methodologies and rapid prototyping.

• Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) systems and their role in customer experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements are robust, indicating a need for seasoned professionals who can operate at a strategic level while maintaining a practical understanding of execution. The emphasis on "shaping priorities" and "longer-term transformation" suggests this role is key to the company's future direction, requiring strategic foresight and operational planning capabilities.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of End-to-End Experience Design: Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing at least 3-5 significant projects where you led the design and delivery of end-to-end customer experiences. Each case study should clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions designed, and the measurable impact (e.g., improved NPS, conversion rates, reduced churn, increased customer lifetime value).

• Process Optimization Examples: Include examples of how you've identified and addressed customer pain points through process redesign or optimization. This could involve workflow mapping, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing solutions that streamline customer journeys.

• System Integration Demonstrations: Showcase instances where you've applied systems thinking to integrate various components (people, process, technology, environment) to create a cohesive omnichannel experience. Highlight your understanding of how different systems interact to serve the customer.

• Stakeholder Influence & Communication Artifacts: Provide examples of presentations, strategy documents, or communication plans that effectively influenced senior stakeholders or cross-functional teams to adopt a particular CX strategy or initiative.

Process Documentation:

• Journey Mapping & Service Blueprinting: Evidence of creating detailed customer journey maps and service blueprints to visualize current-state experiences and design future-state improvements.

• Research & Insight Synthesis: Documentation of how customer research (qualitative and quantitative) was conducted, synthesized, and translated into actionable design recommendations and strategic priorities.

• Test-and-Learn Frameworks: Examples of frameworks or methodologies used to design and execute test-and-learn initiatives, including metrics for success and mechanisms for iterating based on findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role like this, the portfolio is crucial. Operations candidates should focus on demonstrating their ability to translate strategic CX goals into tangible process improvements and system integrations, backed by data and measurable outcomes. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "end-to-end" design requires showcasing how disparate elements were brought together for a unified customer outcome.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £55,500.00 - £88,500.00 Annually. The specific salary within this range will be determined based on the candidate's experience and qualifications. The initial expected salary is up to £72,000.

Benefits:

• Employee Ownership & Profit Sharing: As a Partner at John Lewis Partnership, you'll benefit from the company's employee-owned structure, including potential profit sharing.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexibility to work a mix of office-based and home-based days, balancing personal needs with business requirements. Core office days are Tuesday and Wednesday, with the third office day potentially involving in-store visits or agency collaboration.

• Generous Annual Leave: Standard holiday entitlement, likely supplemented by additional days for long service or specific roles.

• Pension Scheme: Comprehensive pension plan to support long-term financial security.

• Partner Discounts: Access to exclusive discounts across John Lewis and Waitrose brands.

• Life Assurance: Provision for dependents.

• Health & Wellbeing Support: Access to various wellbeing programs and resources.

Working Hours: 35 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a management-level role in the UK retail sector, particularly in a strategic CX capacity. The hybrid working model is a significant benefit for work-life balance. The employee ownership aspect is a unique differentiator for the John Lewis Partnership and should be highlighted as a key cultural and financial benefit. The mention of potential in-store or agency days indicates a practical, hands-on element to the hybrid model.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail (Grocery and Department Store). The John Lewis Partnership operates iconic brands like Waitrose (premium supermarket) and John Lewis (department store), positioning itself as a leader in quality, service, and ethical retail practices.

Company Size: Large (John Lewis Partnership is one of the UK's largest employee-owned businesses, employing tens of thousands of Partners across its various brands). This scale implies complex operational structures, significant customer bases, and a strong emphasis on structured processes and governance.

Founded: The Partnership was founded in 1920. This long history signifies a stable, established organization with a deep-rooted culture and a commitment to its values and Partners.

Team Structure:

• Customer Experience Team: This role sits within a dedicated Customer Experience function, likely reporting into a Head of CX or Director of Customer Strategy. The team is focused on understanding and improving the customer journey across Waitrose.

• Cross-Functional Matrix: The role operates within a matrix structure, requiring close collaboration with Store Concept Design, Digital Product Teams, Marketing, Operations, Merchandising, and potentially Store Management. This necessitates strong diplomacy and influencing skills.

• Partner-Centric Environment: As an employee-owned business, the culture emphasizes shared responsibility, collaboration, and a collective commitment to the success of the brand and its customers. Decisions are often made with a long-term perspective, prioritizing sustainability and customer well-being.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The Partnership relies on robust data analytics and customer insights to inform strategic decisions and operational improvements.

• Customer-Centricity: A core tenet of the company's philosophy is placing the customer at the heart of all decisions and operations.

• Continuous Improvement: The culture fosters a mindset of ongoing refinement and innovation to maintain competitive advantage and enhance customer satisfaction.

• Ethical Business Practices: Strong emphasis on fairness, sustainability, and social responsibility, influencing operational choices and brand perception.

Company Website: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding the employee-owned structure is key. It shapes decision-making, long-term strategy, and the collaborative culture. For operations professionals, this means a focus on collective success, transparent communication, and a commitment to ethical practices, which can influence process design and technology implementation. The retail industry context, specifically within a premium grocery brand like Waitrose, means a high volume of transactions, complex supply chains, and a strong emphasis on in-store and online experience integration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a mid-to-senior management level (Partnership Level 6), indicating significant autonomy and responsibility for strategic initiatives. It's a pivotal position for someone looking to influence customer-facing operations and strategy at a high level within a large, reputable organization.

Reporting Structure: The Customer Experience Design Manager reports to a higher-level CX or Strategy leader and, in turn, leads key strategic projects, potentially influencing or indirectly managing cross-functional teams on a project basis. This structure offers exposure to senior leadership and broad organizational influence.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts operational effectiveness by designing and optimizing customer journeys that influence purchasing decisions, repeat business, and brand perception. Successful CX design translates directly into improved operational efficiency (e.g., reduced customer service queries, smoother in-store/online processes) and increased commercial performance (e.g., higher conversion rates, increased basket size, greater customer lifetime value).

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: Potential to advance into senior leadership roles within CX, Strategy, or broader Operations management (e.g., Head of CX, Director of Customer Strategy, Senior Operations Manager).

• Specialization & Deepening Expertise: Opportunity to become a recognized expert in specific areas of customer experience design, service design, or omnichannel strategy within the retail sector.

• Cross-Brand Exposure: Potential for movement or collaboration across other John Lewis Partnership brands (e.g., John Lewis department stores), offering broader retail operational experience.

• Strategic Project Leadership: Leading larger, more complex transformation programs that have significant organizational impact and visibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned for individuals aiming for strategic leadership in customer-facing operations. The growth path emphasizes not just vertical advancement but also the opportunity to deepen expertise in a critical business function within a well-established retail entity. The "Partnership Level 6" designation indicates a significant level of responsibility and potential for long-term career development within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at the Bracknell Campus, the main Head Office for John Lewis Partnership. This implies a professional, corporate office environment designed to support collaboration and strategic work.

Office Location(s): Bracknell Campus, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YA, United Kingdom. This location is a central hub for many of the Partnership's corporate functions.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The Bracknell Campus is designed to foster collaboration, with modern meeting spaces, breakout areas, and shared workspaces to encourage interaction among Partners from various departments.

• Technology Enabled: Expect access to robust IT infrastructure, collaboration tools, and necessary hardware/software to support design, analysis, and communication.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model mandates specific in-office days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day potentially in-store or with an agency), ensuring regular face-to-face interaction with the CX team and cross-functional colleagues, facilitating dynamic problem-solving and idea generation.

Work Schedule: The role requires 35 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement. While core office days are fixed (Tuesday and Wednesday), there's flexibility in balancing home and office work, and the third office day can be dynamic (in-store or with agency). This structure allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions in the office or on-site.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement, with its specific core days and flexible third day, indicates a structured approach to ensuring collaboration while offering individual autonomy. Operations candidates will appreciate the mix of focused work and team interaction, which is crucial for both strategic planning and detailed execution. The Bracknell Campus environment suggests a professional, well-resourced setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruitment team will review applications to ensure basic qualifications are met.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A detailed discussion with the Hiring Manager focusing on your experience, approach to CX design, leadership style, and understanding of the Waitrose brand. Be prepared to discuss your operational thinking and how you translate strategy into actionable plans.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A key stage will likely involve presenting a portfolio of your work, focusing on 1-2 key case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end experience design capabilities, problem-solving skills, and impact. You may be asked to walk through your process, rationale, and results.

• Cross-Functional Panel Interview: Interview with key stakeholders from departments you'd collaborate with (e.g., Digital, Store Operations, Marketing). This assesses your ability to influence, communicate, and build consensus across different functions.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Director of CX, Chief Customer Officer) to assess strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business problem, your role, the CX strategy you designed, the operational considerations for implementation, and the measurable outcomes (ROI, NPS, efficiency gains).

• Showcase Process: Detail your methodology – how you gathered insights, involved stakeholders, designed solutions, and managed implementation challenges. Highlight your systems thinking approach.

• Tailor to Waitrose: Demonstrate an understanding of the Waitrose brand, its "Food Lover" audience, and the retail context. Frame your experience in a way that resonates with their specific challenges and opportunities.

• Be Concise and Visual: Use clear visuals, charts, and concise descriptions. Avoid overwhelming detail; focus on the story and the results. Prepare to speak to each element of your portfolio.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Be ready for hypothetical scenarios related to improving a specific Waitrose customer journey, handling conflicting stakeholder priorities, or addressing a new market trend.

• Operational Thinking: Prepare to discuss how you would operationalize a new CX initiative, considering resources, timelines, cross-functional dependencies, and measurement frameworks.

• Brand Alignment: Think about how you would ensure any CX initiative aligns with the John Lewis Partnership's values and "Food Lover" ambition.

📝 Enhancement Note: Operations candidates should emphasize their ability to bridge the gap between strategic design and practical, scalable implementation. When discussing portfolio pieces, highlight the operational planning, process improvements, and cross-functional alignment required to bring designs to life, rather than just the creative design elements. The "Food Lover" ambition means understanding how to operationalize a premium, curated experience.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design & Collaboration Tools:

• Prototyping & Design Software: Proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), or similar for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Journey Mapping & Service Blueprinting Tools: Familiarity with platforms like Miro, Mural, Lucidchart, or dedicated CX tools for visualizing customer journeys and service blueprints.

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools such as Asana, Jira, Trello, or Monday.com for managing project timelines, tasks, and cross-functional workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Platforms: Experience with Google Analytics or similar for understanding online customer behavior.

• Customer Feedback & Survey Tools: Familiarity with platforms like Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or internal feedback systems for gathering and analyzing customer sentiment.

• BI & Data Visualization Tools: While not explicitly stated, experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for data analysis and reporting would be highly beneficial for demonstrating impact.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) store customer data and can inform CX strategies.

• Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): Awareness of how CDPs can unify customer data for a more holistic view.

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Familiarity with tools that automate customer communications and journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is design-focused, a strong understanding of the underlying operational and technological infrastructure is crucial. Operations professionals should highlight their experience in leveraging these tools to gather insights, design scalable solutions, and measure impact. The ability to integrate human-centered design with practical system capabilities is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of the "Food Lover" customer, ensuring every interaction is positive and valuable.

• Partnership & Collaboration: A strong belief in working together, sharing knowledge, and supporting colleagues across different functions to achieve common goals, reflecting the employee-owned ethos.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive to deliver high standards in all aspects of the customer experience, from initial concept to final execution, upholding the reputation of Waitrose and John Lewis.

• Innovation & Adaptability: A willingness to explore new ideas, embrace change, and continuously improve processes and experiences to stay ahead in the competitive retail landscape.

• Integrity & Responsibility: Operating with honesty, transparency, and a sense of ownership for decisions and their impact on customers, Partners, and the business.

Collaboration Style:

• Open & Inclusive: Encourages diverse perspectives and active participation from all team members and stakeholders.

• Constructive Feedback: Fosters an environment where feedback is given and received openly to drive improvement.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Proactive engagement with other departments to ensure CX strategies are well-understood, supported, and effectively implemented across the entire organization.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing best practices, learnings, and insights to elevate the collective capability within the CX team and beyond.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations candidates, understanding and aligning with these values is critical. The emphasis on "Partnership," "Excellence," and "Customer Centricity" suggests that operational strategies must be designed not only for efficiency but also for high-quality customer delivery and team cohesion. Demonstrating how your operational approach supports these values will be key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Operational Realities: Ensuring that ambitious customer experience designs are practical, scalable, and align with the operational constraints and capabilities of a large retail organization.

• Influencing Across Complex Matrix: Navigating diverse stakeholder needs and priorities within a large, matrixed organization to gain buy-in and drive consistent implementation of CX initiatives.

• Measuring Impact of Intangibles: Quantifying the direct commercial impact of experience design improvements, especially for initiatives that focus on emotional connection or brand perception.

• Adapting to Evolving Customer Expectations: Staying ahead of rapidly changing customer behaviors and preferences in the dynamic retail and grocery sectors.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced CX & Design Training: Access to internal and external training programs to deepen expertise in cutting-edge CX methodologies, service design, and user research.

• Leadership Development Programs: Opportunities to hone leadership, strategic planning, and stakeholder management skills through dedicated programs within the Partnership.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to attend industry conferences, workshops, and network with other CX and retail professionals.

• Cross-Functional Projects: Engaging in diverse projects across different business units (e.g., digital transformation, store modernization) to broaden operational understanding and strategic influence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Operations professionals should view these challenges as opportunities to apply their problem-solving skills. For instance, "balancing strategic vision with operational realities" is a core function of effective operations management. Highlight how your experience in process optimization and resource management can address such challenges.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed an end-to-end customer journey. What were the key considerations, challenges, and outcomes?" (Prepare to discuss operational implementation, not just design).

• "How would you develop a 3-year CX strategy for Waitrose's 'Food Lovers' segment, considering both immediate needs and long-term vision?" (Focus on how you'd gather insights, prioritize initiatives, and align with business goals).

• "Imagine a customer is frustrated with the checkout process in a Waitrose store. How would you diagnose the problem, design a solution, and ensure its successful implementation across multiple locations?" (Emphasize systems thinking, stakeholder engagement, and operational rollout). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What does 'customer centricity' mean to you in the context of Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership?" (Relate this to operational processes and customer service standards).

• "How would you foster collaboration between the CX team and operational teams (e.g., store management, supply chain)?" (Discuss your approach to building relationships and alignment).

• "How do you measure the success of your customer experience initiatives, and what KPIs are most important?" (Highlight metrics related to both customer satisfaction and business performance/operational efficiency). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your narrative: Problem -> Your Approach (including operational considerations) -> Solution -> Impact (quantified).

• Highlight your role: Clearly define your responsibilities and contributions, especially in leading cross-functional efforts and influencing stakeholders.

• Showcase systems thinking: Explain how you connected different touchpoints, processes, and technologies to create a seamless experience.

• Be ready for deep dives: Anticipate questions about the practicalities of implementation, data used, and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations-focused candidates, it's crucial to weave operational considerations into every answer. When discussing strategy, talk about resource allocation, process mapping, and cross-functional dependencies. When discussing impact, include metrics related to operational efficiency, cost savings, or process improvements alongside customer satisfaction.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Customer Experience Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the John Lewis Partnership careers portal via the provided link.

• Tailor your CV: Highlight your experience in strategic design, cross-functional leadership, process optimization, and delivering measurable business impact, using keywords from the job description such as "customer experience," "service design," "systems thinking," and "stakeholder management."

• Curate your Portfolio: Prepare a digital portfolio that clearly showcases 2-3 key projects demonstrating end-to-end experience design, problem-solving, and quantifiable results. Ensure your portfolio highlights your ability to translate strategy into actionable operational plans.

• Research Waitrose & JLP: Understand the brand's commitment to "Food Lovers," its values as an employee-owned business, and recent retail trends impacting the grocery sector.

• Prepare for the Interview: Practice articulating your experience and approach, focusing on how you bridge design strategy with operational execution and stakeholder influence. Be ready to discuss case studies and answer scenario-based questions with an operational lens.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.