Senior UX Researcher II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher II

Company: The Coca-Cola Company

Location: Atlanta, GA, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: May 14, 2026

Experience Level: 6-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX research strategy for a significant product area, driving informed product decisions through deep user understanding.

• Leverage AI-powered synthesis tools and modern research methodologies to generate insights at scale across multiple product teams.

• Act as a strategic thought partner to product, design, and engineering leaders, influencing product direction and roadmap priorities.

• Mentor team members and partners, elevating research literacy and fostering a user-centric culture across the organization.

• Contribute to shaping the research practice, standards, and ways of working within a newly forming digital product organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a foundational digital product organization at Coca-Cola, emphasizing the strategic importance of UX research from the outset, rather than as a validation step. The emphasis on AI-powered synthesis and operating at scale suggests a need for researchers adept at managing multiple concurrent research initiatives and leveraging technology for efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and define the research strategy for designated product areas, identifying critical questions and guiding methodologies to uncover user needs, behaviors, and mental models.

• Execute comprehensive qualitative research initiatives, including user interviews, usability studies, contextual inquiry, diary studies, and concept testing.

• Employ AI-powered synthesis tools and modern research techniques to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, efficiently generating actionable insights.

• Design and implement research programs that effectively serve multiple product teams simultaneously, maximizing research impact across the organization.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and engineers during the discovery phase to frame complex problems before solution development.

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic thought partner to product, design, and engineering leaders, influencing roadmap decisions and strategic priorities.

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with cross-functional partners, ensuring research insights are integrated into the product development lifecycle.

• Communicate complex research findings clearly and compellingly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, through effective storytelling.

• Contribute to the evolution of the research practice at The Coca-Cola Company by developing methods, standards, and best practices.

• Mentor junior researchers and non-researcher partners, enhancing their user research skills and promoting a data-driven, user-centric approach.

• Proactively identify opportunities to expand the impact and reach of the UX research function within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on execution, and practice development, indicating a senior-level role with significant influence. The expectation to "operate at scale" and "connect the dots across teams" suggests a need for strong program management and cross-functional communication skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While a specific degree is not mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Design Research, or a related field is highly recommended for foundational understanding.

Experience: 6 to 10 years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) research, with a demonstrated track record of influencing product decisions across multiple teams or product domains.

Required Skills:

• Research Strategy: Ability to define strategic research agendas, prioritize questions, and sequence research activities to build comprehensive user understanding over time.

• AI-Augmented Synthesis: Hands-on experience utilizing AI-powered tools for data analysis, thematic development, and rapid insight generation, while maintaining research rigor.

• Qualitative Methodologies: Deep proficiency in conducting user interviews, usability studies, contextual inquiry, diary studies, and concept testing.

• Quantitative Acumen: Comfort with quantitative research approaches and the ability to collaborate with data analysts to triangulate findings.

• Thought Partnership: Proven ability to act as a strategic advisor to product and design leadership, influencing decision-making processes before solutions are finalized.

• Insight Communication: Exceptional skill in translating nuanced research findings into clear, compelling narratives that drive action and stakeholder buy-in.

• Systems Thinking: Capacity to connect user insights to broader product strategy and business context, understanding interdependencies across multiple teams.

• Independent Operation: Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced product development environments.

• Agile & SDLC Familiarity: Understanding of Agile methodologies and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to integrate research seamlessly into development workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), retail, or enterprise product environments with diverse user roles and touchpoints.

• Familiarity with complex operational workflows or enterprise management tools, beyond consumer-facing applications.

• Exposure to research involving AI-enabled or intelligent product experiences.

• Experience in building or contributing to the establishment of a UX research practice.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite for documentation and presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI-powered synthesis tools" and "operating at scale" suggests a need for candidates who are not only skilled researchers but also adept at leveraging technology for efficiency and impact. The "preferred skills" indicate a potential for the role to touch upon both consumer-facing and internal enterprise applications.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX research projects.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the research problem, the strategic questions addressed, the methodologies employed, and the user insights generated.

• Quantify the impact of your research on product decisions, user experience improvements, and business outcomes (e.g., increased engagement, reduced support tickets, improved conversion rates).

• Highlight your ability to work with diverse user groups and complex product areas, including enterprise or operational tools.

• Include examples of how you've used AI-powered synthesis tools or modern research techniques to accelerate insight generation or scale your impact.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you have documented research processes, from planning and recruitment to synthesis and reporting.

• Showcase your approach to creating research roadmaps that align with product strategy and team objectives.

• Include documentation that illustrates how you've collaborated with product, design, and engineering teams to integrate research findings into their workflows.

• Demonstrate your ability to communicate research findings in a clear, accessible format that facilitates understanding and action.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on scaling research and using AI tools, portfolios should ideally showcase projects where efficiency gains or broader impact were achieved. Evidence of influencing strategic decisions and working across multiple teams will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The provided base pay range for this role in Atlanta, GA, is $171,000 to $198,000 USD per year. This range is determined by factors such as geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans.

• Financial Benefits: This is a broad category that typically includes retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k with company match), life insurance, disability insurance, and potential stock options or long-term incentive plans.

• Annual Incentive: A reference value of 30% of base pay is provided, indicating a target annual incentive bonus based on performance.

• Other Benefits: While not explicitly detailed, a company of Coca-Cola's size and stature typically offers a robust benefits package which may include paid time off, parental leave, employee assistance programs, and wellness initiatives.

Working Hours: The role is listed with standard full-time working hours, generally understood to be around 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement specifies three days per week in the office, suggesting a structured yet flexible approach to work scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Senior UX Researcher II role in a major metropolitan area like Atlanta. The inclusion of an annual incentive target (30%) suggests a performance-driven compensation structure. The mention of "Financial Benefits" is broad, but for a company of this caliber, it typically encompasses robust retirement and long-term savings plans.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage (CPG - Consumer Packaged Goods). Coca-Cola operates in a highly competitive global market, requiring innovation and strong brand management. The company is undergoing significant digital transformation, aiming to modernize its operations and customer engagement strategies.

Company Size: Large Enterprise. The Coca-Cola Company is a multinational corporation with tens of thousands of employees globally, indicating a structured environment with established processes, but also significant opportunities for impact within specialized digital product teams.

Founded: 1886. With a long history, Coca-Cola possesses a strong brand legacy and deep market understanding, now actively integrating digital capabilities to enhance its future growth and operational efficiency.

Team Structure:

• Digital Product Organization: This role is part of a newly forming digital product organization, designed to be agile and innovative. Researchers are embedded within empowered, cross-functional product teams.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Researchers will work closely with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Data Analysts. The structure emphasizes collaboration and shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Reporting Hierarchy: While specific reporting lines aren't detailed, senior researchers typically report to a Head of Research, Director of Product, or a similar leadership role within the digital product function.

Methodology:

• User-Centricity: Research is foundational, aiming to deeply understand users to shape product development from inception.

• Agile Integration: Research activities are expected to align with agile development cycles, delivering insights at the speed product teams need them.

• AI-Augmented Research: A key methodology involves leveraging AI tools for efficient synthesis and analysis, enabling research at scale.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Insights are expected to directly inform product decisions, roadmap prioritization, and strategic initiatives.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company is actively building a new digital product organization, which implies a dynamic, potentially less bureaucratic environment within that specific function, contrasted with the broader enterprise. The role is positioned to influence this new way of working.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Researcher II. This level signifies a seasoned professional expected to operate with significant autonomy, lead complex research initiatives, and provide strategic guidance. It's a role that bridges individual contribution with mentorship and practice development.

Reporting Structure: The role involves embedding within cross-functional product teams, while research leadership likely resides within a dedicated UX Research function or Head of Product/Design. This structure allows for deep team integration while maintaining a connection to a broader research community for best practices and development.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's impact is direct and foundational. By understanding user needs, behaviors, and pain points, they inform the development of digital products and internal tools that power sales, service, and operations. This research directly influences customer experience, operational efficiency, and ultimately, business outcomes and revenue generation for The Coca-Cola Company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in a New Practice: Opportunity to significantly shape and scale the UX research practice within a major global organization as it builds out its digital capabilities.

• Strategic Influence: Develop expertise in influencing product strategy and roadmap decisions at a senior leadership level across diverse product areas (consumer-facing, sales, operations, AI-enabled).

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-augmented research, complex enterprise/operational systems, or emerging AI product experiences.

• Mentorship and Practice Building: Gain experience in mentoring other researchers and partners, contributing to the growth of user-centricity across the company.

• Cross-Industry Exposure: Gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of digital transformation within the CPG industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to be part of building a research function from the ground up within a large, established company. The "Senior II" title suggests a path toward Principal or Lead Researcher roles, or potential management opportunities as the team grows.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. The role requires three days per week in the Atlanta, GA, global headquarters, with two days offering remote flexibility. This model is designed to foster a cohesive and collaborative team culture.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is The Coca-Cola Company's global headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta offers a vibrant tech scene, a relatively lower cost of living compared to coastal tech hubs, and a central location.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on team culture suggest an environment that encourages in-person collaboration, brainstorming, and knowledge sharing.

• Tools and Technology: As part of a digital product organization, expect access to modern research tools, collaboration platforms, and potentially advanced AI synthesis software.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities to regularly interact with product managers, designers, engineers, and data analysts within embedded product teams.

Work Schedule: The standard full-time workweek (approx. 40 hours) is expected, with the hybrid arrangement providing flexibility on remote work days. This schedule allows for dedicated time for deep work, analysis, and in-person collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, balancing the need for in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. The emphasis on building a "highly cohesive, collaborative team culture" suggests intentional efforts to foster connection and teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and alignment with the role's core requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into experience, research philosophy, strategic thinking, and problem-solving approach. This is where your ability to act as a thought partner will be evaluated.

• Portfolio Presentation & Peer Interviews: A critical stage involving presenting 1-2 detailed case studies from your portfolio. This will be followed by interviews with cross-functional peers (Product, Design, Engineering) and potentially other researchers, assessing collaboration skills, research execution, and impact.

• Senior Leadership Interview: A final interview with senior stakeholders to assess strategic alignment, leadership potential, and overall fit within the organization's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select case studies that best demonstrate your ability to lead research strategy, use AI-augmented synthesis, act as a thought partner, and drive significant product impact.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies with a clear narrative: problem, approach (methodologies, tools like AI synthesis), key insights, and measurable outcomes. Emphasize why you made certain decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present data that shows the tangible results of your research (e.g., improvements in user satisfaction, conversion rates, efficiency gains).

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight how you partnered with product, design, and engineering teams, and how your research influenced their work.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your methodologies, your rationale, and how you handled challenges or ambiguity.

• Include AI Synthesis Examples: If possible, showcase projects where AI tools helped accelerate your process or uncover deeper insights.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Strategic Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would approach research strategy for a given product area, how you'd prioritize efforts, and how you'd measure success.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare to discuss hypothetical product challenges and how you would apply UX research methods to uncover user needs and inform solutions.

• Stakeholder Management Scenarios: Think about how you would influence stakeholders who may be resistant to research findings or have differing priorities.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation to ensure it is concise, compelling, and within the allotted time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio link and any required access credentials (e.g., password) directly on your resume" is a critical instruction. Candidates must ensure their portfolio is readily accessible and showcases their best work in a clear, organized manner. The interview process is designed to assess strategic thinking, collaborative ability, and practical research execution.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• AI-Powered Synthesis Tools: Proficiency with modern AI tools for qualitative data analysis, thematic development, and insight generation (specific tools not mentioned, but candidates should be aware of emerging platforms in this space).

• Qualitative Research Platforms: Experience with tools for remote usability testing, session recording, and user feedback collection (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

• Survey Tools: Familiarity with platforms for creating and deploying user surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms).

• Collaboration & Documentation: Proficient use of tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and potentially Confluence for documentation and team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Collaboration: Ability to work alongside data analysts to triangulate findings from qualitative research with quantitative data. Familiarity with how to interpret dashboards and reports from tools like Tableau, Power BI, or internal analytics platforms is beneficial.

• Presentation Software: Advanced skills in creating compelling presentations using tools such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote to communicate research findings.

CRM & Automation (Contextual):

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user insights can inform CRM strategies or how internal operational tools (potentially CRM-adjacent) function is advantageous. Familiarity with how data flows through business systems is a plus.

• Integration Awareness: Understanding how different digital tools and systems connect to provide a holistic user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "AI-powered synthesis tools" is a key differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these tools and how they leverage them to enhance research efficiency and scale. Familiarity with tools used in enterprise environments, beyond typical consumer UX research stacks, would also be advantageous.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Curious: A deep-seated desire to understand users, their motivations, and their unmet needs. This drives the exploration of new hypotheses and the questioning of assumptions.

• Empowered: Taking initiative, owning research strategy, and driving decisions based on user insights. This involves operating with autonomy and accountability.

• Inclusive: Ensuring diverse user perspectives are sought and represented in research, and fostering an inclusive research practice. This also extends to collaborating effectively with diverse teams.

• Agile: Adapting research approaches to meet the fast-paced demands of product development, delivering timely insights without sacrificing rigor. This includes embracing new tools and methodologies like AI-augmented synthesis.

Collaboration Style:

• Strategic Partnership: Working as a trusted advisor to product, design, and engineering leaders, proactively shaping product direction rather than just executing research tasks.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Deeply embedding within product teams, fostering strong working relationships to ensure research insights are understood, valued, and acted upon.

• Shared Understanding: Cultivating a collective understanding of user needs and behaviors across teams, moving beyond siloed knowledge.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: Actively contributing to the growth of research literacy within the broader organization, sharing best practices and mentoring colleagues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Our Purpose and Growth Culture" section highlights four key behaviors: curious, empowered, inclusive, and agile. These are directly applicable to the UX Researcher role and should be reflected in how candidates present themselves and their experiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Research: Implementing research methodologies and processes that can effectively serve multiple product teams simultaneously without compromising depth or rigor.

• Ambiguity and Pace: Navigating a fast-moving product development environment with evolving priorities and potentially undefined problem spaces.

• Influencing Senior Stakeholders: Effectively communicating complex research findings and advocating for user needs to gain buy-in from senior leadership and diverse functional groups.

• Integrating AI Tools: Mastering and effectively integrating AI-powered synthesis tools into the research workflow, ensuring they augment, rather than replace, human judgment and rigor.

• Building a New Practice: Contributing to the foundational development of UX research standards, processes, and culture within a newly forming digital product organization.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI Research Techniques: Gaining hands-on experience and expertise in cutting-edge AI tools for research synthesis and analysis.

• Strategic Product Influence: Developing skills in influencing product strategy, roadmap planning, and executive decision-making.

• Mentorship and Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior researchers and contribute to building the research practice, potentially leading to formal leadership roles.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Deepening understanding of CPG industry dynamics, enterprise operational systems, and digital transformation initiatives.

• Industry Exposure: Potential for participation in industry conferences, workshops, and continuous learning to stay abreast of evolving UX research trends and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents a significant opportunity to shape a research function in a large, established company undergoing digital transformation. The challenges are directly tied to this growth and innovation context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a research strategy for a new product area within The Coca-Cola Company's digital portfolio, considering both consumer-facing and internal operational tools?"

• "Describe a situation where you had to influence senior leadership to adopt a user-centered approach or change a product direction based on your research. What was your strategy?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Coca-Cola's digital transformation goals, where do you see the biggest opportunities for UX research to drive impact?"

• "How do you align your research approach with Agile development cycles and ensure your insights are delivered in a timely manner?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Begin with a clear executive summary of the project's goals, your role, and the key outcomes.

• Narrative Flow: Guide interviewers through the problem, your strategic approach, the methodologies chosen (and why), your key insights, and the resulting product impact.

• Highlight AI Use: If applicable, explicitly mention and demonstrate how AI tools aided in synthesis, efficiency, or depth of insight.

• Quantify and Qualify: Use metrics to show impact, but also qualitative anecdotes to illustrate user struggles and the significance of your findings.

• Address Collaboration: Be prepared to discuss how you worked with product, design, and engineering teams throughout the project lifecycle.

• Conciseness: Respect time limits; practice to deliver a polished, impactful presentation within the allocated timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should thoroughly research Coca-Cola's current digital initiatives and their stated growth culture. Preparing specific examples that align with the "curious, empowered, inclusive, agile" behaviors will be crucial. The portfolio presentation is a central element, so practicing its delivery is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher II position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Coca-Cola careers portal.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods, AI-augmented synthesis, strategic research leadership, and influencing product decisions. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "Research Strategy," "AI-Augmented Synthesis," "Thought Partnership," "CPG," "SDLC").

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio link is prominently displayed on your resume and that it includes 2-3 robust case studies showcasing end-to-end research projects. Provide any necessary access credentials as requested.

• Prepare Your Case Studies: Practice presenting your chosen portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, impact quantification, and demonstrating your strategic approach and collaborative abilities. Be ready to discuss your use of AI tools.

• Research Coca-Cola's Digital Strategy: Understand the company's stated goals for digital transformation, their growth culture, and the types of products they are developing (consumer-facing, operational, AI-enabled).

⚠️ 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 team before making application decisions. Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and easily accessible as per the application instructions.