Lead UX Product Researcher Emerging Experiences

Pay is based on several factors which vary based on include labor markets and in some instancesmay include education work experience and addition to your pay Target cares about and invests in you as a team member so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs which may include medical vision dental life insurance and more to help you and your family take care of your whole benefits for eligible team members include 401(k) employee discount short term disability long term disability paid sick leave paid national holidays and paid competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at Us

Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture.Learn more about Target here.

Target UX is a group of design content research and accessibility practitioners and experts with a passion for improving and innovating our digital experiences for Targets guests team members and partners. Here we pride ourselves on designing tangible inspiring and impactful solutions that serve all aspects of our business and being a part of the team means you will play a critical role for Targets digital experience by increasing ease simplicity value and delight for every touchpoint.

About the team

The Emerging Experiences team focuses on future-forward guest experiences that are seamless inspiring and full of possibility. We imaginewhatsnext for Targets digital and physical touchpoints and bring those ideas to life through immersive high-fidelity storytelling.

This team works across the ecosystem collaborating with product engineeringbrand stores and enterprise strategy to prototype the future and make it real.Werehere to create clarity in complexity. At Target designisntjust how somethingworksitshow it feels.Itshow we bring joy to everyday life through moments of clarity emotion and care.

About the role

As a Lead Product Researcher embedded within our Emerging Experiences team you will help shape the future of Targets guest experience by leading research that informs long-term vision concept incubation and emerging product opportunities across digital and physical touchpoints. You will driveunderstandingof evolving guest needs behaviors expectations andemergingtechnologies helping teamsidentifyopportunities that may not yet have clear product definitions. Working across multiple initiatives and strategic horizons you will guide research efforts that evaluate future-state concepts immersive experiences AI-enabled interactions and new service models that have the potential to transform how guests engage with Target.

As a Lead Product Researcher you will serve as a research leader throughout the concept and product development lifecycleshaping research strategy recommending methodologiesfacilitatingsynthesisand activating insights that influence decision-making across teams. You will help define how Target evaluates emerging experiences byestablishingsuccess criteriaidentifyingrisks and opportunities and translating ambiguity into actionable direction. Through your work you will connect guest needs with businessobjectiveshelping teams make informed decisions about where to invest explore and innovate.

Beyond individual initiatives you will serve as a catalyst for human-centered thinking across product design engineering and business teams. You will elevate the practice of research through mentorship thought leadership and influence helping teams deepen their understanding of guest needs and translate insights into meaningful experiences. As a member of the Guest UX Research Team you will contribute to advancing the broader UX practice at Target through leadership collaboration and craft.

Responsibilities

• Use your skills experience and talents to contribute to groundbreaking thinking and visionary goals.

• Lead research strategy and execution across future-focused initiatives concept incubation efforts and emerging experience explorations.

• Serve as a research leader throughout the research lifecycle by recommending methodologies defining scope coordinating executionfacilitatingresearch activities and leading synthesis and analysis.

• Lead qualitative and quantitative research efforts including moderated and unmoderated testing concept evaluation ethnographic research shop-alongs longitudinal studies intercepts journey mapping and exploratory generative research.

• Define and evaluate quality for emerging experiences including adaptive AI-enabled and highly personalized interactions.

• Lead synthesis of research findings and activate insights through compelling storytelling opportunity identification and strategic recommendations.

• Use your influence toidentifyand pursue user-centered outcomes within and across products initiatives and teams.

• Effectivelyfacilitatemultiple cross-functional working teams and collaborate across product design engineering brand and business partners.

• Guideresearchprocess and mentor researchers and cross-functional partners.

• Advance a culture of experimentation and human-centered practice within UX product and engineering teams.

• Build relationships across Target toidentifyemerging opportunities and enable future-state innovation.

• Contribute to the evolution of research practices frameworks and thought leadership across the Guest UX Research organization.

About You

• 7 years of experience practicing UX research for digital products services or emerging technology experiences.

• Preferred 4-year degree in Design Research Social Science Psychology Human Factors HCI Anthropology or related field.

• Demonstratedexpertisein qualitative and quantitative research methods including remote moderated and unmoderated testing contextual inquiry ethnographic research surveys concept testing and emerging AI-supported research approaches.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;demonstratedability to effectively communicate complex concepts to cross-functional partners and influence decision-making.

• A strong ability to tell compelling stories from data and translate ambiguity into actionable insights and recommendations.

• Comfortable operating in highly ambiguous environments where concepts prototypes and priorities evolve rapidly.

• Strong project leadership skills with experience managing multiple initiatives across varying stages of discovery and development.

• Advanced strategic problem-solving systems thinking and collaboration skills.

• Experience working effectively with early-stage concepts prototypes future-state visions and innovation-focused teams.

• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Experience mentoring researchers and helping elevate research capabilities across teams.

• Proficient in research tools for remote testing surveys analysis synthesis and reporting (UserTesting QualtricsDscout ChatGPT etc.).

• You balance near-term learning needs with long-term strategic vision.

• You are an advocate for human-centered design and can clearly communicate how research drives business outcomes product strategy and guest value.

• Exhibit a growth mindset intellectual curiosity and passion for understanding people and experiences.

This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Targets needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team members core rolewill need to beperformedboth onsite at the Target HQ MN location the role is assigned toandvirtuallydepending upon what your role team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Clickhereif you are curious to learn more about Minnesota.