Product Research Specialist

Zello • Austin, TX

24d

About The Position

Zello is a voice-first communication platform, powered by our industry-leading push-to-talk technology, to improve collaboration and productivity for desk-less workers. With over 175+ million users, we’re the #1 rated push-to-talk app in the world, delivering 9 billion (yes, with a B) messages a month.
At Zello, our company values are at the heart of what we do everyday. We’re proud to serve the frontline, we’re privileged to connect people in times of crisis across the globe, and we’re honored to support first responders.
And this is where you come in.
Zello helps organizations stay connected with fast, reliable push-to-talk communication. Our products are used by frontline workers across Retail, Hospitality, Aviation, Manufacturing, and Construction, where communication quality and hardware reliability matter enormously.
We’re looking for a curious, hands-on Product Research Intern to help us identify the wired and Bluetooth headsets that frontline workers in Retail and Hospitality trust most today. This role is a blend of desk research, in-person field visits to top Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations, and hands-on internal product testing, with a direct line to vendor outreach decisions.

Requirements

• Naturally curious and enjoys digging deep to find answers
• Organized and detail-oriented. You keep your work structured and easy to follow
• Comfortable working independently and taking initiative without being told every step
• A clear communicator who can summarize complex findings simply
• Interested in how hardware and software work together in real-world environments
• Comfortable using spreadsheets, research tools, and AI tools to work efficiently
• Has reliable personal transportation to travel to Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations for in-person field research
• Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a relevant program (Product Design, Engineering, Technology Management in the Business school or similar)

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Retail or Hospitality operations
• Prior experience with competitive or market research
• Experience writing structured research reports or product briefs
• Interest in hardware, accessories, or enterprise technology

Responsibilities

• Research the headset landscape (wired & Bluetooth)
• Identify and catalog wired and Bluetooth headsets that are widely adopted in Retail and Hospitality environments today
• Survey customer reviews, industry forums, trade publications, and retail/hospitality communities to understand which devices people love and why
• Document key specs, pricing, availability, connectivity type, and user sentiment for each headset identified
• Visit top Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations to observe headset usage in real work environments
• Speak with frontline staff and managers to understand what they use, what works, and what doesn’t
• Document field observations and surface insights that desk research alone can’t capture
• Create and manage a clear, well-organized list of headset candidates with evaluation criteria
• Track attributes such as build quality, compatibility, durability, comfort, and frequency of positive mentions
• Prioritize headsets based on popularity, quality signals, and relevance to Zello’s target environments
• Source and purchase top-ranked wired and Bluetooth headsets for hands-on testing
• Conduct your own basic testing of each device, evaluating call clarity, comfort, build quality, and ease of use
• Organize and distribute testing materials
• Collect and consolidate internal feedback into a clear, structured summary for decision-making
• Analyze test results and research findings to help narrow the field to vendors meeting Zello’s quality bar
• Prepare clear summaries and recommendations to inform vendor outreach conversations
• Assist in documenting criteria for vendor selection and partnership potential

Benefits

• competitive pay
• equity with significant upside
• intentionally design our benefits to encourage healthy and well-balanced employees, flexible schedules and time off
• sabbatical after every five years of service
• ping-pong table and free snacks in our break room

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed