Sr. Product Insights Researcher

We are seeking a Sr. Product Insights Researcher to join our Product Insights team, which leads consumer research for Target's Owned Brand products portfolio. As a Sr. Product Insights Researcher, you will focus on leading end-to-end consumer research, integrating consumer understanding throughout development, translating insights into decisions, strategic cross-functional partnership, external research partner management, and management of projects.

Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end consumer research, including scoping, designing, executing, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating qualitative and quantitative consumer research.
• Translate business and technical questions into clear learning objectives, hypotheses, research plans, and success criteria.
• Select fit-for-purpose methodologies based on the decision being made.
• Develop research materials, including discussion guides, questionnaires, screeners, stimuli, and testing protocols.
• Ensure appropriate methodological rigor, sample design, data quality, documentation, and research integrity.
• Bring consumer learning into the product and packaging development lifecycle.
• Identify consumer needs, behaviors, barriers, motivations, Jobs-to-Be-Done, and unmet opportunities that can inform product and packaging strategy.
• Translate consumer needs into actionable product and packaging experience requirements, design criteria, and development guardrails.
• Support concept development, product innovation, assortment decisions, packaging development, claims, pricing/value questions, and product optimization.
• Connect learning across research phases and existing knowledge.
• Synthesize complex consumer learning into clear actionable insights.
• Communicate insights through compelling reports, presentations, workshops, and storytelling.
• Influence stakeholders by connecting consumer evidence directly to the business or product decision at hand.
• Build strong partnerships across Merchandising, Product Development/Design, Packaging, Sourcing, Quality/Regulatory, Enterprise Insights, and other business functions.
• Identify and manage external research suppliers when appropriate.
• Independently lead multiple research initiatives simultaneously.
• Maintain strong operating discipline, documentation, stakeholder communication, and on-time delivery.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Market Research, Sensory and Consumer Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Relevant experience conducting consumer, market, product, or experience research.
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Strong understanding of research design, sampling, questionnaire/discussion guide development, data quality, and research ethics.
• Working knowledge of statistics and ability to analyze and interpret quantitative consumer data.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research findings into clear business, product, or packaging recommendations.
• Ability to independently scope research from initial business question through final recommendation.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence within cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and adapting research approaches as business needs evolve.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Consumer Research, Psychology, Market Research, Sensory and Consumer Science, Statistics, or related discipline.
• Experience conducting research that directly informs product and/or packaging development.
• Experience within retail, consumer product goods, agency for multiple industries.
• Experience integrating qualitative and quantitative learning into a cohesive research story.
• Experience with product testing, sensory consumer research, or consumer experience research.
• Strong statistical foundation with experience using Excel, XLSTAT, SPSS, R, or similar analytical tools.
• Experience with research platforms for survey programming, qualitative research, product testing, or sensory research.
• Exposure to advanced methodologies.
• Experience managing external research agencies and vendors.
• Experience facilitating workshops, co-creation sessions, or cross-functional research discussions.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled research, synthesis, or analytics capabilities.

This is a hybrid/flexible work arrangement role, requiring work to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ MN location and virtually.