Sr. Product Insights Researcher

Target • Minneapolis, MN

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Product Insights team leads consumer research for Target’s Owned Brand products portfolio, supporting key business needs and priorities. The Sr. Product Insights Researcher leads qualitative and quantitative consumer research across frequency business areas, including Food & Beverage and Essentials & Beauty, as well as other assigned categories. The role informs product and packaging opportunities and guides development, optimization, and ongoing improvement.

The researcher independently scopes, designs, executes, analyzes, synthesizes, and communicates consumer research. They move between qualitative exploration and quantitative validation, translating consumer understanding into actionable recommendations and product or packaging direction. The role partners with internal teams and external research suppliers, supporting projects from early opportunity identification through development, launch readiness, and post-launch learning.

This position operates in a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day arrangement, requiring work both onsite at Target’s assigned Target HQ MN location and virtually, depending on role, team, and daily tasks. Work duties may not be performed outside the country of the primary work location unless otherwise prescribed by Target.

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 and discussion guide development, data quality, and research ethics.
• Working knowledge of statistics and ability to analyze and interpret quantitative consumer data.
• Ability to translate research findings into clear business, product, or packaging recommendations.
• Ability to independently scope research from the 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.
• Comfort working in ambiguity and adapting research approaches as business needs evolve.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree, preferably a master’s degree in Consumer Research, Psychology, Market Research, Sensory and Consumer Science, Statistics, or a related discipline.
• Experience conducting research that directly informs product and/or packaging development.
• Experience in retail, consumer packaged goods, or an agency serving multiple industries, such as Food & Beverage, Beauty/personal care, Apparel, Household Goods, or other product-focused 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 and 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 such as MaxDiff, TURF, conjoint/choice modeling, driver analysis, or segmentation.
• 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 and understanding of appropriate human oversight.

Responsibilities

• Independently scope, design, execute, analyze, synthesize, and communicate qualitative and quantitative consumer research.
• Translate business and technical questions into learning objectives, hypotheses, research plans, and success criteria.
• Select research methodologies that fit the decision being made.
• Develop research materials such as discussion guides, questionnaires, screeners, stimuli, and testing protocols.
• Ensure methodological rigor, appropriate sample design, data quality, documentation, and research integrity.
• Bring consumer learning into the product and packaging development lifecycle, from opportunity identification and ideation through optimization, launch readiness, and post-launch learning.
• Identify consumer needs, behaviors, barriers, motivations, Jobs-to-Be-Done, and unmet opportunities relevant to 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 and value questions, and product optimization.
• Connect learning across research phases and existing knowledge rather than treating studies as standalone projects.
• Synthesize consumer learning into actionable insights, decision-ready guidance, opportunities, risks, tradeoffs, and recommended next steps.
• Communicate insights through reports, presentations, workshops, and storytelling, connecting consumer evidence to business and product decisions.
• Build partnerships across Merchandising, Product Development/Design, Packaging, Sourcing, Quality/Regulatory, Enterprise Insights, and other business functions.
• Consult with partners early to clarify decisions and determine whether new research is needed.
• Proactively identify consumer learning opportunities and facilitate alignment when findings reveal competing priorities, risks, or tradeoffs.
• Serve as a consumer and product insights thought partner for assigned categories or business areas.
• Identify and manage external research suppliers; develop scopes, review proposals, manage timelines and budgets, establish quality expectations, oversee fieldwork, and evaluate research quality.
• Independently lead multiple research initiatives while maintaining documentation, stakeholder communication, operating discipline, and on-time delivery.
• Navigate ambiguity and changing business needs with flexibility and sound judgment.

Benefits

• Eligible team members and their dependents may receive comprehensive health benefits and programs, including medical, vision, dental, and life insurance.
• 401(k)
• Employee discount
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• Paid sick leave
• Paid national holidays
• Paid vacation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior