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Product Design Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Strong communication skills across design, research, and content strategy practices. * Experience ... Product Design * User Experience * Design Systems * HCI * Customer Insights Integration * AI-Driven ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

The (USA) Director, Design Research leads strategic initiatives to advance design research ... Oversee the synthesis of data sources, ensuring research findings support product and technology ...

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Product Design Research information

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$88K

$189.5K

How much do product design research jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for product design research in the United States is $184,336.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $189,000.00 and $189,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Is AI replacing product designers?

AI is transforming product design by automating repetitive tasks and providing data-driven insights, but it does not replace the need for human product designers. Designers are essential for creative problem-solving, user research, and creating intuitive experiences that AI tools support rather than replace. Skills in user-centered design, prototyping, and familiarity with AI tools remain valuable in the field.

What is the highest paid product design job?

Senior roles such as Lead Product Designer, Design Director, or Head of Product Design tend to have the highest salaries in product design, often exceeding six figures annually. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and proficiency with design tools and user research methods.

What is product design research?

Product design research is the process of gathering and analyzing information about users' needs, behaviors, and experiences to inform and improve the design of a product. It involves various methods such as user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and competitor analysis to ensure that the final product solves real user problems and delivers value. The insights gained from this research guide design decisions, helping teams create products that are both functional and user-friendly.

Is 40 too old to become a UX designer?

Product Design Research and UX design are accessible to individuals of any age, as success depends on skills, portfolio, and experience rather than age. Many professionals transition into UX later in life, leveraging their prior knowledge and applying relevant tools like wireframing and user testing. Continuous learning and building a strong portfolio are key to entering the field at any age.

How much does a design researcher make?

The average salary for a product design researcher typically ranges from $70,000 to $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior roles or those with specialized skills in user research and usability testing may earn higher salaries.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Product Design Researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Product Design Researcher, you need expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods, user experience principles, and typically a background in design, psychology, or related fields. Familiarity with tools like UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, and prototyping software such as Figma or Sketch, as well as experience with data analysis platforms, is essential. Strong communication, empathy, and critical thinking skills help you effectively translate user insights into actionable design recommendations. These skills are crucial for creating user-centered products that meet real needs and drive business success.

What is the difference between Product Design Research vs User Experience Research?

AspectProduct Design ResearchUser Experience Research
FocusUnderstanding user needs to inform product design and developmentEvaluating user interactions and experiences to improve usability
MethodsUser interviews, ethnography, concept testingUsability testing, surveys, field studies
Work EnvironmentCollaborates closely with designers, product managers, engineersWorks with designers, UX teams, product teams
CredentialsBackground in design, psychology, anthropology often preferredBackground in psychology, human factors, or design

Product Design Research and User Experience Research share overlapping skills and work environments but differ in their primary focus. Product Design Research emphasizes informing product development through understanding user needs, while UX Research concentrates on evaluating and improving user interactions. Both roles are vital in creating user-centered products and often collaborate within the same teams.

How does a Product Design Researcher typically collaborate with designers, engineers, and product managers throughout a project?

Product Design Researchers play an integral role in cross-functional teams by gathering user insights and sharing research findings that inform product decisions. They often collaborate closely with designers to ensure user needs are addressed in prototypes and with engineers to provide context for technical solutions. Regular meetings, workshops, and feedback sessions facilitate open communication and ensure that research insights are integrated at every stage of the product lifecycle. This collaborative approach helps align the team’s efforts towards creating user-centered products and often leads to more innovative and effective design solutions.
More about Product Design Research jobs
What states have the most Product Design Research jobs? States with the most job openings for Product Design Research jobs include:
Infographic showing various Product Design Research job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $184,336 per year, or $88.6 per hour.
Director Digital Product Design

Director Digital Product Design

Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits

Atlanta, GA • On-site

$149K - $183K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 22 days ago


Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 162 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

160th of 368 rated retail wholesalers


Job description

What You Need To Know

Shape a remarkable future with us. Build a career working for an industry leader that truly invests in their people - and equips them with leading technology, continuous learning, and the ability to bring their best selves to work. As the preeminent wine and spirits distributor, Southern Glazer's isn't just one of Forbes' Top Private Companies; it's a family-owned business with deep roots dating back to 1933.

Southern Glazer's is proud of its well-earned positive reputation, continually achieving accolades for our outstanding workplace culture. We take pride in creating a culture where our people are valued, supported, and provided opportunities for growth and belonging.

As a full-time employee, you can choose from a wide-ranging menu of our Top Shelf Benefits, including comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage, dental and vision plans, tax-saving Flexible Spending Accounts, disability coverage, life insurance plans, and a 401(k) plan. We also offer tuition assistance, a wellness program, parental leave, vacation accrual, paid sick leave, and more.

By joining Southern Glazer's, you would be part of a team that values excellence, innovation, and community. This is more than just a job - it's an opportunity to build the future of beverage distribution and grow with a company that truly cares about its people.

Overview

The Director Digital Product Design will work with one or more product portfolios and report to the VP, Digital Product Design. Within a portfolio, the director has the responsibility to develop design strategies, manage a digital design team, assess design qualify and performance, and lead in the development and presentation of design ideas.

Primary Responsibilities
  • Develop design strategies:  
    • Lead problem-framing & ideation sessions  
    • Lead design thinking workshops  
    • Create design hypotheses, explore & test  
    • Contribute point-of-view into service blueprints  
    • Lead rapid prototyping efforts for exploratory interactions  
  • Manage a digital design team:  
    • Effectively lead a team of digital designers, giving clear and actionable feedback to team members  
    • Provide motivation and recognition for job performance  
    • Hire and mentor 'full stack' digital product designers  
    • Ally and support culture and diversity initiatives within the team, and at the company   
  • Present design ideas:  
    • Lead design reviews with executive-level colleagues  
    • Provide solid rationale for design decisions  
    • Make compelling and persuasive presentation of ideas, concepts, and in-progress design work  
Additional Primary Responsibilities
  • Assess design quality and performance:  
    • Review design work created by direct reports, agencies, and collaborators  
    • Perform generative and evaluative design research  
    • Collaborate with design researchers to continuously learn & iterate design work  
  • Collaborate with product development:  
    • Appropriately inclusive of software development in the design process  
    • Collaborate with software engineering, analytics, and QA teammates to bring ideas to life and products to market 
  • Partner with product management:  
    • Support the OKRs of product portfolios as the design subject matter expert (SME)  
    • Contribute and develop ideas to help the portfolio achieve its business outcomes 
    • Help the portfolio director understand the customer needs through research, interviews, workshops, story mapping, and similar techniques
Minimum Qualifications
  • 8+ years of digital product design experience, inclusive of mobile app design, web design, and design systems
  • 4+ years of design management experience
  • Experience leading design in an agile business environment, with portfolio examples
  • Familiarity with the full digital product lifecycle, using product roadmaps, story mapping, writing design stories, designing features, direct collaboration with development teams
  • Experience developing & implementing global design systems, with portfolio examples
  • Functional knowledge of: Design & prototyping tools (Figma, Protopie, Framer, Canvaa), Design research methods & tools (Ethnography, User Testing, Accessibility Compliance, Moderation), Collaboration tools (Miro, Confluence, Jira), Common UI technology (HTML, CSS, Material Design), Common mobile app frameworks (Flutter, FlutterFlow, React Native, PWA) and Microsoft Office Suite 
Preferred Qualifications
  • Portfolio inclusive of digital project work showing end-to-end experience: from ideation to launch  
  • Articulate about digital product design as a practice, and supportive of agility in design processes   
  • Ability to generate, visualize and prototype new concepts to demonstrate and test with users and stakeholders  
  • UCD certifications  
  • Design Thinking training, workshop facilitation experience   
  • Agile training or certifications, like SAFe Agilist  
  • Industry involvement, active in the local design community  
Physical Demands
  • Physical demands include a considerable amount of time sitting and typing/keyboarding, using a computer (e.g., keyboard, mouse, and monitor), or adding machine
  • Physical demands with activity or condition may include walking, bending, reaching, standing, squatting, and stooping
  • May require occasional lifting/lowering, pushing, carrying, or pulling up to 20lbs
EEO Statement

Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, an Affirmative Action/EEO employer, prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. SGWS complies with all federal, state and local laws concerning consideration of a qualified applicant's arrest and/or criminal conviction records. Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits provides competitive compensation based on estimated performance level consistent with the past relevant experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education of employees. Unless otherwise expressly stated, any pay ranges posted here are estimates from outside of Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits and do not reflect Southern Glazer's pay bands or ranges.

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If you have any questions or concerns about whether this posting complies/adheres with local pay transparency requirements, please contact the SGWS talent acquisition team at NationalTA@sgws.com


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