About the company

Albertsons Companies is at the forefront of the revolution in retail. With a fixation on innovation and building culture, our team is rallying our company around a unique vision: forging a retail winner that is admired for national strength, deep roots in the communities we serve, and a team that has passion for food and delivering great service.

Albertsons is one of the largest retail employers, providing approximately 300,000 jobs across 2,200 stores, 22 distribution centers, 20 food and beverage plants and various support offices. We operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia under the Albertsons banner, as well as Safeway, Tom Thumb, Jewel Osco, Shaw’s and many more recognizable names.

Albertsons Companies recently rolled out our Presence with a Purpose work model. Placing a premium on adaptability, safety and family well-being, Presence with a Purpose will help us build a hybrid work environment between remote work and office time. A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to everyone, and teams are allowed to make decisions that are best for them.

What you will be doing

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Research Lead, User Experience to lead our user research practice and drive a user-centered design throughout the organization. As the Research Lead, you will be responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and analysis of user research studies to provide insights that will guide the development of our products. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that user needs and insights are integrated into product design and development. You will partner with other cross-functional leads to set in place best in class research principles and practices for the organization.

You possess the skills to conduct user experience research at a professional level and are adept at determining when to employ qualitative and quantitative methods. Collaborating with others comes naturally to you, and you have a keen sense of when to maintain methodological rigor and when to be flexible to accommodate project requirements. Your work is characterized by a sincere sense of curiosity and empathy, and you are willing to challenge conventional thinking to arrive at the best solution.

The position will be based in Pleasanton, California or Boise, Idaho.

Main responsibilities

• Partner with Product Vertical Leaders to identify research requirements and collaborate with multiple stakeholders across functions to uncover user pain points.
• Provide direction to UX Researchers in formulating research questions and selecting suitable data collection methods to deliver relevant value to stakeholders at any business stage.
• Develop strategic roadmaps and frameworks for the User Research function.
• Provide leadership to UX researchers in evaluating research opportunities by assessing their impact, urgency, and significance for the team, and proposing feasible and effective research solutions.
• Developing strategic research activities and insights to answer key business questions effectively and efficiently.
• Effectively communicate with leadership to emphasize crucial user issues that require strategic attention.
• Demonstrate proficiency in managing ambiguity, working independently, and multitasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Adopting and adapting well-established methods according to product/project situations, and innovating new methods that scale
• Building and delivering developmental goals for User Researchers to enable skills growth.
• Conducting research, evaluation, and implementation of opportunities to enhance research efficiency and effectiveness, such as adopting new technologies, tools, and external vendors.

The salary range is $135,800 to $190,100 annually. Starting salary will vary based on criteria such as location, experience and qualifications. There may be flexibility for exceptional candidates.

A copy of the full job description can be made available to you.

What we are searching for

• Bachelor/Master’s in Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, Information Science, Psychology, Social Science, or any related field
• 6-9 years of relevant experience in consumer-facing business domains
• Experience in organizing, prioritizing, and promoting research initiatives throughout the organization.
• Proficient in qualitative and user-centered design methodologies such as individual and group interviews, diary studies, direct observation, and think-aloud usability testing.
• Well-versed in quantitative research techniques such as surveys, A/B testing, usability, sentiment analysis, task analysis and data analysis,
• Experience in evaluating, negotiating, and working with external research vendors.
• Effectively communicate user problems and business opportunities to diverse stakeholders, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience in leading and managing teams of user researchers.
• You can demonstrate critical thinking beyond business requests.
• You are a great storyteller and communicator, able to speak fluently to businesspeople, designers, engineers and other stakeholders.
• You enjoy collaborative work in a dynamic, data-driven and creative environment.

What it is like at Albertsons?

Albertsons Culture Principles

Compassion: We always treat each other with kindness and respect

Team: We always support and recognize each other

Inclusive: We always value everyone’s perspective

Learning: We always strive to grow and develop ourselves and others

Competitive: We always act with integrity to win over the customer

Ownership: We always take actions to drive our success