UX research manager, Digital UX & Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Research Manager, Digital UX & Design

Company: Starbucks Coffee Company

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-17

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and develop a team of UX researchers focused on enhancing customer and partner digital experiences through rigorous generative and evaluative research.

• Drive strategic decision-making by translating user insights into actionable recommendations for Starbucks' global digital ecosystem.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement in research operations, tooling, and methodologies to elevate the quality and impact of research findings.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including design, product management, engineering, and coffeehouse operations, to embed user-centricity into product development.

• Champion the voice of the customer and partner throughout the digital product lifecycle, ensuring their needs and behaviors inform design and strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is in UX Research and Design, the emphasis on "coffeehouse operations leads," "partner experiences," and "retail strategy" strongly suggests a need for understanding how digital products impact real-world operational processes and the overall business strategy. This requires a strong grasp of GTM (Go-To-Market) principles and how user insights can influence business outcomes, aligning it with a broader operations mindset.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Manage, mentor, and grow a diverse team of UX researchers, fostering an inclusive environment and supporting their professional development.

• Oversee the end-to-end execution of generative and evaluative research initiatives across multiple product portfolios and strategic projects.

• Partner with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Operations leads to define research objectives, methodologies, and integrate findings into product roadmaps.

• Act as a key advocate for customer and partner needs, synthesizing research findings into compelling narratives and actionable insights for stakeholders at various levels.

• Ensure research methodologies are robust, ethical, and aligned with best practices, while continuously seeking opportunities to optimize research operations, tooling, and workflows for efficiency and impact.

• Drive the development and execution of the broader research strategy in collaboration with the Director of Research & Strategy, contributing to the long-term vision for user understanding at Starbucks.

• Coach researchers on advanced methodologies, effective storytelling, and strategic stakeholder engagement to maximize the influence of their work.

• Uphold and exemplify Starbucks' company values (Craft, Results, Courage, Belonging, Joy) in daily interactions and decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "improve research operations, tooling, and workflows" and "Be a champion of change through action" indicates a need for process optimization skills, a core tenet of Revenue Operations and Sales Operations. The role requires not just conducting research but also improving the system of research.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required; a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or a related field is highly preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of dedicated UX research experience, with a proven track record of delivering impactful insights.

• Demonstrated experience in empathetic people management, including mentorship and team development, for at least 2-3 years.

• Experience in retail, eCommerce, hospitality, and/or food & beverage industries is strongly preferred, offering context for operational realities.

• Experience working within design-led and human-centric design organizations is preferred.

• Experience testing operational or production-line focused experiences and tools is ideal.

• Previous experience with agency and vendor partnerships, including managing external collaborators, is a plus. Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in a wide range of generative research methods (e.g., ethnography, interviews, diary studies) and evaluative methods (e.g., usability testing, A/B testing, surveys, heuristic evaluations).

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, coach, and develop a team of researchers.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex research findings into clear, compelling, and actionable insights for diverse audiences.

• Proven ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Robust analytical and synthesis skills, capable of identifying key themes, patterns, and strategic implications from qualitative and quantitative data.

• Deep understanding of the digital product development lifecycle and experience collaborating effectively with product managers, designers, and engineers. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with operations testing or production-line focused user experiences.

• Background in managing agency and vendor partnerships to accelerate research timelines and leverage external expertise.

• Familiarity with statistical analysis and data visualization tools for quantitative research synthesis.

• Knowledge of A/B testing platforms and experimentation design.

• Experience advocating for and implementing research operations best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "empathetic people management," "mentorship," and "coaching and upleveling researchers" points to a strategic HR and team development component. The mention of "retail, eCommerce, hospitality, and food & beverage" background is crucial for understanding the operational context of a company like Starbucks, which impacts how digital tools are used in practice.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a portfolio demonstrating a minimum of 7 years of UX research experience, with a clear emphasis on leadership and team management.

• Include case studies that highlight your ability to lead generative and evaluative research initiatives from conception to actionable insights.

• Provide examples of how your research has directly influenced product strategy, design decisions, and business outcomes within digital product environments.

• Demonstrate experience in improving research operations, tooling, or workflows, showcasing process optimization and efficiency gains.

• Include examples of how you've partnered with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Operations) to drive user-centricity. Process Documentation:

• Prepare to discuss your approach to defining and documenting research processes, ensuring consistency and quality across your team's work.

• Be ready to articulate how you ensure research findings are clearly documented, synthesized, and communicated to stakeholders in a timely and actionable manner.

• Outline your strategies for establishing and maintaining research operations, including best practices for tool selection, vendor management, and process improvement.

• Be prepared to share examples of how you've used data and metrics to measure the effectiveness of research processes and demonstrate ROI.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on managing research operations and improving workflows, a portfolio that includes examples of process documentation, research ops frameworks, or documented improvements to research processes will be highly advantageous. This aligns with the need for operational rigor in managing research initiatives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a UX Research Manager role with 7+ years of experience in a major tech hub like Seattle, the estimated salary range is $146,300 - $243,900 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Income protection: Basic and supplemental life insurance, short-term and long-term disability.

• Paid Time Off: Generous paid vacation, sick time, eight paid holidays, and two personal days. (Vacation accrual varies by location, with specific details for CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND, or RI).

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.

• Equity and Stock Programs: Discounted company stock program (S.I.P.) and Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock).

• Educational Support: 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor's degree through Arizona State University's online program (Starbucks College Achievement Plan), and student loan management resources.

• Family Support: Paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, and backup care.

• Additional Perks: DACA reimbursement, incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools.

Working Hours: Standard full-time position, typically 40 hours per week. The company emphasizes a hybrid work model, requiring 4 days in the office per week, suggesting a structured but collaborative work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is based on market data for UX Research Manager roles in Seattle, WA, considering the 7+ years of experience specified. This range reflects typical compensation for leadership positions in major metropolitan areas within the tech and retail sectors. The benefits listed are directly sourced from the job description, highlighting Starbucks' comprehensive offerings.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage / Retail / Technology (Digital Services)

Starbucks operates within the highly competitive global coffeehouse and retail industry. Its digital organization plays a critical role in evolving the customer experience through technology, influencing brand loyalty, operational efficiency, and market share. The digital UX & Design team is at the forefront of this evolution, ensuring seamless and engaging experiences for millions worldwide.

Company Size: Starbucks is a large, publicly traded corporation with tens of thousands of employees globally, indicating a well-established structure, significant resources, and a broad operational reach. This size offers opportunities for high-impact work and exposure to complex, large-scale challenges.

Founded: 1971. Founded in Seattle, Starbucks has grown from a single coffee bean roaster and retailer into a global phenomenon. Its long history and consistent growth reflect a culture of innovation, adaptation, and a deep understanding of consumer preferences, which the digital team now aims to enhance.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team is part of the larger Digital UX & Design organization, likely comprising multiple researchers and designers.

• This role manages a team of UX researchers focused on customer and partner digital products.

• The team collaborates closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Coffeehouse Operations leads, indicating a matrixed and cross-functional reporting structure where influence and partnership are key.

• The UX Research Manager reports to the Director of Research & Strategy, highlighting a clear hierarchy within the research function. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: The core methodology revolves around leveraging user insights derived from rigorous research to inform strategic decisions and product development.

• Human-Centric Design: A strong emphasis is placed on understanding and advocating for customer and partner needs, ensuring that digital experiences are intuitive, valuable, and delightful.

• Iterative Development: Research findings are expected to feed into a continuous cycle of design, testing, and refinement, driving the evolution of best-in-class products.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The approach involves deep partnerships with various departments to ensure research is integrated holistically into the product lifecycle and business strategy.

Company Website: https://www.starbucks.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's industry context is crucial for understanding the operational impact of digital products. The scale of Starbucks means research findings can affect millions of users and numerous operational touchpoints, requiring a strategic, scalable approach to research and its integration into business processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Managerial position within the UX Research function, indicating a significant level of responsibility that extends beyond individual contribution to team leadership, strategic planning, and operational oversight. It signifies a transition from an individual contributor role to a leadership role focused on enabling and amplifying the impact of a research team.

Reporting Structure: The UX Research Manager will report directly to the Director of Research & Strategy. This structure suggests a clear line of sight to senior leadership and strategic direction within the digital organization. Collaboration with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Coffeehouse Operations leads indicates a highly integrated role that bridges research insights with practical application and business goals.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is substantial, as it directly influences the design and effectiveness of digital products used by millions of customers and partners globally. By ensuring research findings are actionable and integrated into product development, this role contributes to:

• Enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Improved partner efficiency and experience within digital tools.

• Strategic decision-making for digital product roadmaps and investments.

• The overall success and evolution of Starbucks' digital ecosystem and retail strategy. Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Senior Manager or Director-level role within UX Research or a broader Digital/Product organization, taking on larger teams and more strategic initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to transition into Product Management, Design Leadership, or even roles within operational strategy, leveraging deep user understanding and strategic thinking.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies, industry verticals (e.g., retail tech, QSR digital), or strategic domains like customer journey mapping or service design.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning and development in leadership, strategic planning, research operations, and advanced research techniques through company-sponsored programs, conferences, and internal mentorship.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section is tailored to highlight how UX research management contributes to broader business and operational goals, aligning with the expectations for operations professionals who often focus on efficiency, user adoption, and business outcomes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company emphasizes a hybrid work model, requiring employees to be onsite four days a week. This indicates a structured approach to in-office collaboration, balancing the benefits of in-person interaction with flexibility. The environment is likely designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Seattle, Washington, at the specified address (2401 Utah Ave S, Seattle, Washington, United States). This location is a major hub for Starbucks' digital operations.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is designed for team collaboration, likely featuring open workspaces, meeting rooms, and common areas conducive to brainstorming and cross-functional discussions.

• Digital Tools & Technology: As a digital organization, expect access to modern collaboration tools, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized hardware or software for UX research and design activities.

• Team Interaction: The 4-day in-office requirement ensures regular opportunities for face-to-face interaction with direct reports, peers in design and product, and key stakeholders across operational departments. This facilitates direct feedback, mentorship, and efficient problem-solving.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule of approximately 40 hours per week is expected. The hybrid model with 4 days in-office suggests a predictable weekly structure, allowing for focused work at home and collaborative sessions in the office. This schedule aims to support work-life balance while ensuring operational needs for in-person presence are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on the hybrid model and 4 days in-office provides clarity on the expected work arrangement, which is a critical factor for many operations professionals seeking roles. This detail is crucial for setting expectations about daily work life.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your leadership experience, research philosophy, team management approach, and strategic thinking. Be prepared to discuss your management style and how you develop researchers.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with other UX researchers, designers, product managers, and potentially operations leads. These will focus on your collaboration skills, technical expertise in research methodologies, and ability to integrate insights into product development.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A key stage where you will present your work. This typically involves showcasing 2-3 significant case studies that highlight your leadership, research process, impact, and ability to drive change.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership (e.g., Director, VP) to assess strategic alignment, leadership potential, and overall fit with Starbucks' vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Leadership: Ensure your portfolio emphasizes your management and leadership experience, not just individual research contributions. Showcase how you’ve guided teams and influenced strategy.

• Process Optimization Focus: Highlight instances where you improved research processes, tooling, or workflows. Quantify the impact of these improvements (e.g., reduced time-to-insight, increased research output).

• Impact-Oriented Storytelling: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your role and approach, the research conducted, key insights, the resulting actions taken, and the measurable impact on the business (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased customer satisfaction, operational efficiency gains).

• Showcase Collaboration: Include examples of how you partnered effectively with product, design, engineering, and especially operations stakeholders to ensure research was relevant and actionable.

• Tailor to Starbucks: Research Starbucks' digital products and recent initiatives. Be prepared to discuss how your experience and approach align with their business goals and customer base.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential case study or exercise that might involve evaluating a hypothetical digital product's user experience, outlining a research plan for a new feature, or synthesizing a set of research findings.

• Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, methodological rigor, and ability to translate findings into actionable recommendations.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a mixed audience of researchers, designers, and business stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "process optimization," "collaboration with operations," and "measurable impact" is tailored to align this UX role with the broader operational focus of the enhanced job description framework.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Proficiency with various research tools for surveys, interviews, usability testing, and data analysis. Examples include UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback, Maze, and similar platforms.

• Collaboration Suites: Experience with tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and Google Workspace for day-to-day communication and collaboration.

• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for managing research projects and timelines.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: While not explicitly stated, experience with qualitative data analysis software (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and potentially quantitative analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python for basic analysis) is beneficial.

• BI Tools (Familiarity): Understanding of how to interpret data from business intelligence tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) that might be used to track product performance and user behavior metrics.

• Reporting & Dashboarding: Ability to create clear, concise reports and presentations that effectively communicate research findings and their implications.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (Awareness): While not directly managing CRM, understanding how customer data from CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) can inform research or how research insights might impact CRM strategies is valuable.

• Marketing Automation Platforms (Awareness): Familiarity with how marketing automation might be used to reach customers for research or how user behavior impacts automated campaigns.

• Customer Data Platforms (Awareness): Understanding of how centralized customer data platforms are used to gain a holistic view of users, which can inform research efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Tools & Technology Stack" section is adapted to reflect typical tools used in UX research management and operations, with an emphasis on how these tools support data analysis, collaboration, and process management, aligning with operations principles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft: A commitment to high-quality research, meticulous methodology, and delivering actionable, well-supported insights that contribute to excellent product experiences.

• Results: A focus on delivering tangible outcomes through research, measuring impact, and ensuring that insights lead to concrete improvements in digital products and customer/partner experiences.

• Courage: The bravery to advocate for user needs, challenge assumptions, and present findings that may be difficult to hear, driving necessary change within the organization.

• Belonging: Fostering an inclusive team environment where diverse perspectives are valued, researchers feel supported, and everyone contributes to a shared mission of understanding users.

• Joy: Bringing enthusiasm and passion to the work, celebrating successes, and creating a positive and engaging work environment for the research team and collaborators.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: A highly collaborative approach, working seamlessly with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Coffeehouse Operations leads to ensure research is integrated early and often into the product lifecycle.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Emphasis on data-driven discussions and decision-making, where research findings serve as a critical foundation for strategic choices.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging a culture where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged among team members and with cross-functional partners to continuously improve research quality and impact.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactive sharing of insights, methodologies, and best practices across the UX team and broader digital organization to foster collective learning and elevate the entire team's capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Values" are derived directly from Starbucks' stated company values but are framed within the context of how they apply to an operations-focused role like UX Research Management, emphasizing process, results, and impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic vs. Tactical Research: Managing a team that needs to conduct both foundational, generative research for long-term strategy and rapid, evaluative research for immediate product needs.

• Driving Action on Insights: Ensuring that research findings translate into concrete product changes and business decisions, overcoming potential organizational inertia or competing priorities.

• Scaling Research Operations: Continuously optimizing research processes, tooling, and team capacity to meet the growing demands of Starbucks' digital product ecosystem.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Effectively navigating and aligning the expectations and needs of various stakeholders across different departments (e.g., digital product, coffeehouse operations, marketing).

• Evolving Research Landscape: Staying abreast of new research methodologies, technologies, and best practices to ensure the team remains at the cutting edge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development Programs: Access to Starbucks' internal leadership training and development programs to enhance management and strategic planning skills.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Opportunities to attend leading UX research and design conferences (e.g., CHI, UXR Conference) for continuous learning and networking.

• Mentorship: Guidance from senior leaders within Starbucks, including the Director of Research & Strategy and other experienced professionals in digital and operations.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Opportunities to gain deeper insights into coffeehouse operations, marketing strategies, and other business functions, broadening your understanding of the entire Starbucks ecosystem.

• Specialized Training: Potential for training in areas such as advanced analytics, experimentation design, or specific research methodologies relevant to the evolving digital landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are framed to include operational aspects like scaling processes, managing diverse stakeholder needs (often encountered in operations roles), and driving action on insights, which is a key outcome for many operations functions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a research strategy for a new digital product initiative at Starbucks, considering both customer and partner needs?" (Focus on your strategic planning process, stakeholder alignment, and methodology selection.)

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product roadmap or key business decision based on your team's research findings. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your storytelling, synthesis, and stakeholder management skills.)

• "How do you ensure your research team is not only delivering high-quality insights but also driving measurable impact and operational improvements within the product development cycle?" (Emphasize your focus on process optimization, impact measurement, and closing the loop on research.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you admire about Starbucks' digital presence, and how do you see UX research contributing to its future success?" (Show your research and understanding of the brand and its digital strategy.)

• "How do you foster a culture of belonging and inclusion within your research team, and how do you ensure diverse perspectives are represented in your research?" (Align with Starbucks' values and your leadership style.)

• "How do you balance the need for rigorous research with the fast-paced demands of a retail/digital environment, and how do you prioritize research efforts effectively?" (Demonstrate your understanding of operational constraints and prioritization skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role and leadership, the research conducted, key findings, the actions taken (especially any operational adjustments or product changes), and the quantifiable business impact.

• Highlight Process Improvements: If possible, include a case study or specific example where you improved a research process, tooling, or workflow, demonstrating your operational acumen.

• Showcase Collaboration: Explicitly detail how you collaborated with design, product, engineering, and crucially, coffeehouse operations or other relevant business units.

• Data Visualization: Use clear visuals (charts, graphs, user journey maps) to illustrate your findings and their implications. Ensure any metrics presented are clear and directly tied to business objectives.

• Concise Storytelling: Practice delivering your presentations concisely, focusing on the most impactful aspects and being prepared for detailed Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions and preparation tips are crafted to probe for operational thinking, process improvement capabilities, and strategic impact, in addition to core UX research management skills, making them relevant for candidates with an operations background or mindset.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Research Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Starbucks Careers portal.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your people management experience, expertise in both generative and evaluative research, and any experience in retail, eCommerce, or hospitality. Quantify achievements whenever possible, focusing on impact and operational improvements.

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your leadership, research process optimization, cross-functional collaboration (especially with operations), and ability to drive measurable business outcomes. Be prepared to present these effectively.

• Prepare for the interview: Research Starbucks' digital products and recent initiatives. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, research strategy, and how you drive action on insights. Be ready to discuss how you would improve research operations and processes.

• Understand the hybrid model: Be prepared to discuss your experience and expectations regarding a hybrid work environment, specifically the 4-day in-office requirement, and how you ensure team cohesion and productivity in such a model.

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