Principal Product Design Researcher

Job Summary
The Principal Product Design Researcher is responsible for shaping long-term product vision and business strategy through foundational insights into human behavior, needs, and emerging sociocultural trends. The role acts as a trusted thought partner to product, design, and engineering leadership—guiding early-stage planning and future roadmap decisions with rigorously synthesized, actionable research.

The Principal Product Design Researcher leads and scales research programs that inform enterprise-level direction, develops cross-functional alignment, and influences senior decision-makers. The work shapes 2–5 year experience strategies, ensuring the voice of the customer is not only heard but operationalized in strategic investments and product prioritization.

The role requires both vision and execution. The Principal Product Design Researcher designs new research approaches, implements scalable knowledge management systems, and mentors other researchers and cross-functional partners. The role evangelizes a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and evidence-based decision-making, while directly influencing leadership conversations at the highest levels of the organization
     
Duties and Responsibilities (other duties as assigned)

•  Build, lead, and scale foundational research programs that uncover deep user needs, motivations, and sociocultural patterns to guide mid-to-long-term product strategy.

• Partner with executive stakeholders to define and prioritize long-range opportunity areas (2–5 years) and shape strategic roadmaps.

• Collaborate cross-functionally to define impactful research questions that align with organizational goals and investment planning.

• Design and execute qualitative and mixed-method studies that drive clarity in high-ambiguity problem spaces.

• Translate complex insights into strategic frameworks and operational recommendations for senior leadership.

• Establish scalable knowledge-sharing practices and systems to integrate insights into product development and business planning at scale.

• Influence decision-makers through compelling storytelling, presentations, and advisory support on customer experience strategy.

• Guide and mentor researchers and partners across disciplines, scaling research thinking and methods throughout the organization.

• Lead workshops, reviews, and working sessions that translate research into innovation opportunities and organizational action.