A JTBD champion is more than just a fan of the Jobs to Be Done framework. They are an internal change agent who helps integrate JTBD thinking into the fabric of how an organization understands customers, develops products, and sets strategy. They act as translators between customer insights and practical business actions, ensuring that decisions are grounded in what customers are really trying to achieve.

What does a JTBD champion actually do?

The specific responsibilities of a JTBD advocate or champion can vary based on the size and structure of the organization. However, their core mission remains the same: drive consistent internal adoption of JTBD thinking in a way that leads to better outcomes for both the customer and the business.

• Promote understanding: Champions help teams understand the Jobs to Be Done framework through internal workshops, documentation, or coaching sessions.
• Keep customer needs front and center: They advocate for user-centered design by consistently reminding stakeholders to focus on customer jobs rather than features.
• Bridge teams: JTBD champions create alignment across departments – from product and marketing to CX and research – making sure everyone speaks the same language when it comes to customer needs.
• Provide structure and tools: They introduce consistent ways to capture, document, and apply customer insight so it stays actionable over time.

Where JTBD champions often sit

The JTBD champion can be anyone passionate about customer insights – from a product manager or UX researcher to a marketing lead or organizational design partner. What’s important is not their job title, but their ability to create momentum, influence cross-functional teams, and stay focused on long-term adoption.

In some cases, organizations partner with firms like SIVO Insights to help upskill internal champions through immersive insights work or internal training. This can help champions build both credibility and capability faster, especially in more complex or silo-heavy environments.

Examples of champion impact

Even small efforts from a JTBD champion can have quick wins. For example:

• Convincing a product team to validate a new feature idea by testing it against the core customer job rather than internal metrics.
• Helping a marketing team reframe campaign messages around outcomes the customer is seeking instead of product specs.
• Partnering with a research team to gather insights framed directly around jobs, pains, and desired outcomes.

JTBD champions act as the glue between customer research and execution. Without them, insights often get lost in translation or sidelined by short-term priorities. With them, organizations build stronger muscles around user-centered decision-making and long-term customer success.

Adopting the Jobs to Be Done framework isn’t a one-time fix – it’s an ongoing shift in how your organization thinks about customers. And like any change, it’s vulnerable to friction. Legacy processes, varying team mindsets, and competing priorities can all slow or stall your progress. That’s where JTBD advocates make all the difference.

Creating a shared customer language

One of the biggest challenges in scaling customer-centric practices is alignment. Different teams approach the customer from different angles: marketing wants to tell stories, product wants to ship features, research wants to explore behaviors. The JTBD framework offers a shared language – one that cuts across roles and clarifies what your customers are trying to get done in their lives or work.

A strong JTBD advocate ensures this shared understanding takes root. They help remind teams that the end goal isn’t the product – it’s the outcome the customer wants. For example, instead of asking “What can we build next?”, a JTBD-informed question becomes “What job is the customer struggling to complete – and how can we better support it?”

Driving focus across teams

When teams don’t have a clear model for understanding customer needs, it’s easy to default to assumptions, internal goals, or copying competitors. JTBD champions help teams pause and recalibrate.

Some of the key ways they help improve alignment across teams include:

• Facilitating cross-functional discussions around customer insights, narrowing in on the consumer’s unmet needs, not just product requirements.
• Creating visibility into ongoing JTBD-driven work – from new research studies to product iterations based on actual customer jobs.
• Keeping momentum by reminding teams how earlier insights have led to better outcomes, building confidence in the framework.

Minimizing internal disconnects

It’s common for organizations to believe they are customer-led, only to find that teams interpret customer needs in very different ways. Without a consistent framework like JTBD, this misalignment can slow decision-making, lead to mixed messaging, and even cause product-market misfits.

By more clearly defining “jobs” across customer segments, JTBD champions reduce that disconnect. They help define and socialize customer jobs consistently – ensuring that teams working on design, messaging, innovation, or service delivery are all anchored to the same core drivers.

Whether introducing JTBD to teams for the first time or driving long-term internal adoption, a well-positioned advocate provides clarity, focus, and connection across departments. In the long run, this improves not just team alignment but business impact.

In large or legacy organizations, introducing a new framework like Jobs to be Done (JTBD) can feel like turning a ship. Established processes, long-held assumptions, and competing priorities can make internal adoption slow. That’s where a JTBD champion becomes essential. By acting as both an educator and internal motivator, this advocate gradually builds momentum within teams that may otherwise resist change.

Rather than forcing sweeping changes, JTBD champions help teams understand the value of customer insights in a gradual, approachable way. Their insight-focused mindset reframes existing discussions around what customers are trying to accomplish – rather than just what products do. This subtle but powerful shift opens up new ways to think about product strategy, innovation, and experience design.

Bringing Meaningful Change from the Inside Out

In slower-moving organizations, change often sticks when it comes from within. External consultants or one-off trainings may spark interest, but internal JTBD advocates bridge the gap between initial exposure and consistent, sustainable application. They become the go-to person for “how JTBD fits into product teams” or “how to promote Jobs to be Done in a company.”

Because champions speak the internal language of the organization, they can translate JTBD concepts into relevant, real-life examples that feel achievable. This customizable, embedded support is especially important for cross-functional and legacy teams that may be unfamiliar with user-centered design or newer insight frameworks.

Small Wins That Lead to Big Shifts

JTBD champions understand that internal adoption is a process. They create momentum by encouraging small experiments and quick wins, such as:

• Running a short JTBD workshop during product planning
• Using a JTBD lens to reframe customer personas or segmentation models
• Introducing one JTBD question in user interviews

Over time, these small shifts compound and normalize JTBD thinking across departments. Conversations evolve. Priorities shift. And soon, product and research teams alike begin asking not just what customers want, but why.

For organizations striving to center decisions around real customer problems – even those with rigid structures – JTBD champions offer a grounded, relatable path to progress.

Not everyone is naturally suited to be a JTBD champion – but many teams already have someone with the right raw materials. These champions aren’t always at the top of the org chart or in obvious roles. Often, internal advocates emerge from curious, customer-focused team members who are passionate about solving real problems.

Essential Traits of a Successful JTBD Champion

The best JTBD advocates blend functional understanding with strong interpersonal influence. They’re the ones who ask “why are customers behaving this way?” and lean into the answer, even if it’s complex. Look for individuals with:

• Customer Empathy: They genuinely want to understand what motivates people – not just what they buy.
• Influence Without Authority: Champions don’t need to be managers. They build alignment by facilitating conversations, not dictating answers.
• Learning Mindset: JTBD works best when paired with curiosity. Advocates welcome new insights, adapting approaches based on feedback.
• Cross-Functional Credibility: Whether in product, UX, marketing, or insights, great champions are trusted across teams and comfortable connecting silos.

Spotting Your Internal JTBD Leader

If you’re wondering who could carry the torch for organizational change through JTBD, think about who consistently shows up with a customer-first mindset.

It might be the product manager who pushes for more qualitative research. Or the designer who questions assumptions in order to better map user goals. Or even the marketer eager to realign messaging around customer outcomes instead of product features.

These are the quiet leaders already thinking in terms of customer progress. With the right encouragement, tools, and support, they can become powerful JTBD champions who help entire teams shift toward insight-driven decision-making.

Identifying JTBD advocates early and giving them space to grow is one of the most effective ways to increase internal adoption and embed Jobs to be Done thinking into your core business practices.

Once you’ve identified a promising JTBD champion, the next step is nurturing their growth and removing roadblocks. Unlike a formal role, JTBD advocacy often happens alongside someone’s regular responsibilities – which means consistent support can make or break their momentum.

1. Offer Guidance with Flexibility

Provide structure without overwhelming. Champions need practical resources on how to introduce JTBD thinking without slowing down their teams. Toolkits, short training modules, or peer check-ins are great ways to build confidence without assigning extra burden.

2. Facilitate Peer Sharing

JTBD is inherently collaborative. Create space for champions to connect with others across departments or business units. Sharing successes, experiments, and learnings helps normalize JTBD methods and prevents advocates from feeling isolated.

3. Connect to Broader Business Goals

Linking JTBD to high-level priorities – like customer retention, product innovation, or market expansion – reinforces its relevance. When champions see how Jobs to be Done aligns with leadership’s agenda, they’re more confident advocating for change.

4. Clear a Path for Implementation

Nothing burns out a champion faster than red tape. Help them navigate existing processes so piloting JTBD is easy, not painful. Whether that means simplifying approval for research studies or making JTBD part of planning templates, small tweaks reduce friction.

5. Recognize and Celebrate Progress

JTBD adoption often begins with seemingly small wins – reframing a product vision, adjusting an interview guide, or influencing a roadmap conversation. Celebrate those. Recognition builds momentum and signals that internal advocacy matters.

As teams learn how to promote Jobs to be Done thinking across an organization, champion support becomes a cornerstone. It’s not just about training – it’s about empowerment. At SIVO, we’ve seen firsthand how even one engaged advocate can shift team mindsets and drive deep alignment around the customer’s real needs.