Product Design Researcher (3 openings)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Researcher (3 Openings)

Company: The Coca-Cola Company

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design & Research Operations

Date Posted: January 20, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for embedding deep user understanding into the development lifecycle of digital products and services at The Coca-Cola Company.

• You will function as a key member of empowered product teams, driving research initiatives from discovery through to delivery and iteration.

• The position requires a blend of strong qualitative research methodologies, analytical synthesis, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.

• Success in this role hinges on translating complex user needs and behaviors into actionable insights that directly shape product strategy and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Design Researcher," the emphasis on digital products, customer journeys, service delivery, sales workflows, and integrated systems positions this within a broader GTM (Go-to-Market) and operational context. The requirement for influencing product decisions and roadmaps aligns it with operational strategy roles that leverage user insights for business advantage.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Research Leadership & Discovery:

  • Design and lead comprehensive, end-to-end research plans utilizing a range of qualitative methods including in-depth interviews, usability testing, concept evaluations, diary studies, and lightweight surveys.
  • Proactively shape product discovery phases by defining critical research questions, identifying unmet user needs, and clearly articulating user pain points across customer, partner, and internal associate journeys.
  • Evaluate potential solutions and design concepts through rapid prototyping tests, comparing different design approaches, and identifying usability risks and opportunities at an early stage.

• Insight Synthesis & Storytelling:

  • Analyze and synthesize diverse qualitative and quantitative data sources, including user interviews, field observations, surveys, behavioral data, and existing analytics.
  • Translate complex research findings into clear, structured, and compelling narratives that directly inform product decisions, priorities, and strategic roadmaps.
  • Develop and utilize research artifacts such as journey maps, mental models, service blueprints, and opportunity frameworks to visualize user experiences and identify key leverage points.

• Continuous Learning & Influence:

  • Embed a culture of continuous research within product team rhythms through regular touchpoints, lightweight studies, and ongoing feedback loops.
  • Act as a strategic partner to Product Managers and Designers, connecting research insights directly to design choices, critical trade-offs, and long-term roadmap decisions.
  • Champion the voice of the user throughout all stages of the product lifecycle, from initial discovery and refinement to backlog prioritization and post-launch iteration.

• Collaboration & Integration:

  • Work in close partnership with Designers, Product Managers, Engineers, and Data teams to ensure research insights are effectively integrated into product execution and development.

  • Collaborate with Analytics teams to design robust mixed-methods studies and triangulate qualitative findings with quantitative behavioral data for a holistic understanding.

  • Contribute actively to the development and refinement of a shared research practice, establishing best standards, and improving collaborative ways of working within the product organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant focus on influencing strategy and decision-making, which is a core aspect of operations roles. The emphasis on integrating insights through the product lifecycle, from discovery to post-launch, underscores the operational impact of this research.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in design research or user research within digital product environments.

Required Skills:

• Qualitative Research Expertise: Strong command of qualitative research methodologies, including but not limited to, user interviews, usability testing, concept evaluations, and contextual inquiry.

• Survey Design & Analysis: Proven experience in designing and analyzing surveys to gather directional or exploratory user insights.

• Insight Synthesis & Problem Decomposition: Ability to break down complex systems, user behaviors, and business challenges into clear, structured, and actionable insights.

• Analytical & Quantitative Acumen: Strong analytical thinking skills with comfort in interpreting and synthesizing both qualitative findings and quantitative signals (e.g., behavioral data, analytics).

• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills that effectively influence decisions across diverse disciplines and leadership levels.

• Discovery Leadership: Experience guiding product teams through structured discovery processes, clarifying assumptions, surfacing unmet needs, and informing strategic product direction.

• Execution Excellence: Ability to balance research rigor with the speed required for product team rhythms and continuous learning cycles.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work seamlessly with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Data/Analytics teams to ensure insights drive product decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with common research and synthesis tools such as Dovetail, Lookback, UserTesting, Qualtrics, and various analytics dashboards.

• Experience partnering closely with Data & Analytics teams on designing and executing mixed-methods studies.

• Exposure to service design principles, workflow-heavy environments, or understanding complex business ecosystems.

• Familiarity with emerging AI-assisted research tools or insight-generation technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "operational environments" and "workflow-heavy environments" in the preferred qualifications directly links this research role to operational aspects of the business, making it relevant for candidates with operations backgrounds.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Research Demonstration: Showcase a portfolio that clearly illustrates your experience conducting research from initial discovery through to post-launch iteration.

• Impact on Product Outcomes: Provide specific examples demonstrating how your research insights directly influenced product decisions, design choices, and ultimately shaped product outcomes.

• Methodological Diversity: Include case studies that highlight your proficiency in a range of qualitative research methods and your ability to select appropriate methods for different research questions.

• Synthesis & Communication: Present clear examples of how you synthesized complex data into actionable insights and communicated these findings effectively to cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate understanding of how user research findings can inform and optimize existing or new operational workflows and customer journeys.

• Implementation & Automation Insights: Show how research can identify opportunities for process automation or system enhancements based on user needs and pain points.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Illustrate how research can inform the metrics used to measure product success and how post-launch research can identify areas for performance improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional "operations" role, the requirement for a portfolio demonstrating how insights shape product outcomes and influence decisions directly parallels the need for operations professionals to showcase process improvements and ROI in their portfolios.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• $148,000 - $166,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• A comprehensive range of medical benefits.

• Financial benefits package (details not specified, but typically includes retirement plans like 401k, life insurance, disability).

• 401k retirement savings plan.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work schedule, anticipated around 40 hours per week.

• Travel requirement is 0-25%, indicating some flexibility or need for occasional on-site engagement with different teams or locations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided falls within the mid-to-senior level for specialized research roles in major metropolitan areas like Atlanta. The "Financial" benefits are a broad category but usually encompass retirement savings and other long-term financial planning tools for employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Beverages / Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Company Size: The Coca-Cola Company is a global enterprise, listed as having over 10,000 employees, with a significant presence in Atlanta.

Founded: 1886, indicating a long history of innovation and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• Product Organization: This role is part of a dedicated product organization focused on digital experiences, comprising small, empowered teams.

• Cross-functional Integration: Researchers are embedded within product teams, working closely with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Data teams.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, researchers typically report into a Design or Research leadership function, with strong dotted-line reporting to Product teams.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using both qualitative and quantitative signals to inform product strategy and reduce risk.

• User-Centric Design: A core tenet is bringing deep user understanding into every stage of product discovery and delivery.

• Agile & Iterative Practices: The mention of "continuous research" and "lightweight studies" suggests an agile, iterative approach to product development.

Company Website: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on "purpose," "growth culture," and specific behaviors (curious, empowered, inclusive, agile) provides context for how operations and research professionals are expected to contribute and collaborate within the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-to-senior level position within a specialized research function that directly supports product development and GTM strategies. It signifies a move beyond individual contributor execution to influencing strategic direction.

Reporting Structure: Researchers are embedded within product teams, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Designers. They likely report into a dedicated research or design leadership structure, ensuring consistency and best practices across the product organization.

Operations Impact: The Product Design Researcher plays a vital role in ensuring that digital products and services are aligned with user needs and business objectives. This directly impacts customer satisfaction, operational efficiency (through optimized workflows and service delivery), and ultimately, revenue generation by creating valuable and engaging user experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies or product domains (e.g., customer journey research, operational workflow research).

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Product Design Researcher role, leading larger research initiatives, mentoring junior researchers, and contributing to the overall research strategy.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Experience gained in influencing product strategy can open doors to roles in Product Management, UX Strategy, or even GTM strategy roles within the broader organization.

• Industry Influence: Contributing to a growing in-house design and research practice can lead to opportunities to define best practices and influence industry standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "operations" impact is framed through the lens of digital product success, which is increasingly central to modern GTM and operational efficiency. Growth opportunities highlight a path from specialized research to broader strategic influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site position based in Atlanta, GA. Coca-Cola likely offers a modern corporate office environment designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s):

• Primary location is Atlanta, Georgia.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect an environment that encourages interaction with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Data Analysts, likely featuring open workspaces, meeting rooms, and ideation areas.

• Tools & Technology: Access to necessary research tools, software, and potentially internal systems for data analysis and collaboration.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for team syncs, cross-functional project meetings, and participation in broader product and design community events.

Work Schedule:

• Standard business hours are expected, with flexibility often available within core working hours to accommodate research needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement and travel percentage indicate a role that is primarily integrated within the physical office environment, fostering direct collaboration, which is often preferred for operational roles requiring close team alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume to assess for key qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review & Screening Call: Candidates are typically asked to present their portfolio, focusing on how their research has driven product outcomes. This may be a dedicated session or integrated into an initial interview.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Expect interviews with the hiring manager and potential cross-functional partners (Product Managers, Designers, Engineers) to assess research skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative abilities.

• Research Challenge/Case Study: A common step involves a take-home assignment or an in-session case study where you'll be asked to outline a research plan, analyze a problem, or synthesize hypothetical data.

• Final Round/Leadership Interview: May involve discussions with senior leadership to assess strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the methods used, your key insights, and most importantly, the impact of your research on product decisions and outcomes. Quantify where possible.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research process, from defining objectives and recruiting participants to synthesizing findings and delivering recommendations.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you partnered with Product, Design, and Engineering teams.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with digital product development, complex ecosystems, or operational workflows.

• Storytelling: Present your work as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and user advocacy.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly research Coca-Cola's digital presence, target audiences, and potential business challenges.

• Methodology Justification: Be prepared to explain why you chose specific research methods and how they align with the problem and desired outcomes.

• Actionable Insights: Focus on delivering clear, actionable recommendations, not just findings.

• Presentation Skills: Practice delivering your findings concisely and persuasively, anticipating questions from a cross-functional audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio and research challenges is standard for research roles. For operations candidates, framing their portfolio around process optimization, efficiency gains, and ROI derived from research findings will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: UserTesting, Lookback, Qualtrics (for surveys and potentially qualitative analysis).

• Collaboration & Synthesis: Dovetail (for managing research data and insights), Miro/Mural (for collaborative synthesis, journey mapping, ideation).

• Prototyping & Design Tools: While not a designer role, familiarity with how prototypes are created (e.g., Figma, Sketch) is beneficial for testing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web & Product Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (or similar platforms) for understanding user behavior data.

• Business Intelligence Tools: Tableau, Microsoft Power BI (mentioned in skills) for data visualization and reporting, enabling triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data is managed and how insights can feed into customer journey optimization is valuable. Familiarity with how CRM data informs user segmentation or customer support workflows would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The inclusion of Tableau and Power BI in the general "Skills" section of the original posting is a strong indicator that data analytics and visualization are important for this role, even if it's primarily qualitative. This aligns with the operations focus on data-driven insights.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Curiosity: A drive to ask "why" and explore user behaviors and unmet needs deeply.

• Empowerment: Taking ownership of research initiatives and proactively driving insights into product teams.

• Inclusion: Championing diverse user perspectives and ensuring products are accessible and valuable to all.

• Agility: Balancing research rigor with the speed and iterative nature of product development.

• Data-Driven: A commitment to grounding insights in evidence, whether qualitative or quantitative.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded Partnership: Working as a seamless extension of product teams, fostering strong relationships with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers.

• Insight-Led Influence: Driving decisions through compelling evidence and clear communication, rather than hierarchy.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a shared understanding of users and best practices within the product and design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values (curious, empowered, inclusive, agile) directly translate into the expected behaviors and collaboration style for this role, emphasizing a proactive and team-oriented approach.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Rigor and Speed: The primary challenge will be conducting impactful research effectively within fast-paced product development cycles.

• Navigating Complexity: Understanding and researching user needs within a large, complex ecosystem involving multiple touchpoints and stakeholders.

• Driving Adoption of Insights: Ensuring that research findings are not just delivered, but actively understood, adopted, and acted upon by product teams.

• Measuring Research Impact: Quantifying the value and ROI of research activities to demonstrate their contribution to business objectives.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to explore and implement newer research techniques, including AI-assisted tools.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gaining deeper understanding of product management, design strategy, and data analytics through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior researchers or design leaders within the organization.

• Industry Exposure: Contributing to defining the research practice for a major global brand offers unique professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the operational aspects of research: efficiency, impact measurement, and integration into business processes. Growth opportunities point towards developing specialized skills and strategic influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Research Strategy: "How would you approach researching user needs for a new digital feature aimed at improving our sales team's workflow?" (Focus on clarifying objectives, target users, methodology, and expected outcomes).

• Insight-to-Action: "Describe a time when your research uncovered a significant unmet need or usability issue. How did you communicate this to your team, and what was the resulting product change?" (Prepare a STAR method story emphasizing impact).

• Problem Decomposition: "Imagine we're seeing low engagement on a customer portal. How would you, as a researcher, begin to understand the root causes?" (Demonstrate structured thinking, hypothesis generation, and method selection).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Coca-Cola's Digital Landscape: "What do you know about Coca-Cola's current digital products or services, and what opportunities do you see for user research?" (Research their website, apps, and recent digital initiatives).

• Collaboration in Practice: "How do you build strong working relationships with Product Managers and Engineers who may have different priorities?" (Emphasize empathy, clear communication, and shared goals).

• Measuring Success: "How do you measure the success or impact of your research?" (Discuss metrics, product changes, and user satisfaction improvements).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Concise Storytelling: Structure your presentation around 2-3 key projects, focusing on the narrative: Problem -> Your Role & Methods -> Insights -> Impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, journey maps, key quotes) to illustrate your points.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data to demonstrate the positive outcomes of your research (e.g., "resulted in a 15% increase in task completion," "reduced support inquiries by X%").

• Anticipate Questions: Be prepared to elaborate on your methodological choices, data analysis, and how you navigated challenges.

• Connect to Coca-Cola: Frame your experience and approach in a way that shows how you can contribute to Coca-Cola's specific goals and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for these questions requires framing research experience through an operational lens: how user insights drive efficiency, improve workflows, and contribute to business objectives, aligning with the company's broader GTM and operational success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on The Coca-Cola Company's careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects that demonstrate your ability to conduct end-to-end research, synthesize complex data into actionable insights, and directly influence product design and strategy. Prioritize examples showing impact on user experience and business outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 4+ years of digital product research experience, proficiency in qualitative methods, and any experience with complex or operational environments. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., user insight, analytical rigor, influence, discovery leadership).

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your research process and findings using the STAR method. Prepare specific examples for common interview questions related to research strategy, collaboration, and impact. Rehearse your portfolio presentation to be clear, concise, and impactful.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with The Coca-Cola Company's purpose, values, and recent digital initiatives. Understand their business objectives and consider how user research can support their GTM and operational goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with The Coca-Cola Company hiring organization before making application decisions.