Lead User Researcher, Consumer Innovation

EngineersOfAI; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Instacart is seeking a Staff Researcher on the Consumer team to shape foundational understanding of how people change their food behaviors. You will lead research across generative discovery to product validation, partnering with product, design, data science, marketing, and engineering to ground decisions in human insight.

The role combines early-stage exploratory work with rigorous quantitative validation, and requires mentoring junior researchers while advocating for customer needs across the

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the research roadmap for the consumer innovation workstream, partnering across product, design, data science, and engineering leadership to surface where research can shape strategy
• Lead generative, foundational research to understand how people think about food, nutrition, and health—behaviors, motivations, barriers, and triggers
• Apply behavioral science frameworks to frame research questions and surface insights that drive product and design directions
• Execute and oversee mixed-methods research (qualitative interviews, ethnography, diaries; surveys, data analysis)
• Translate research into actionable narratives to inform decisions from opportunity framing to product launch validation
• Maintain living knowledge bases, personas, and journey maps used by the organization
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to research culture and standards
• Advocate for the customer by influencing roadmap and strategy through clear insights

Skills

Research leadership

Qualitative research

Quantitative analysis

Mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Instacart is seeking a Staff Researcher on the Consumer team to shape foundational understanding of how people change their food behaviors. You will lead research across generative discovery to product validation, partnering with product, design, data science, marketing, and engineering to ground decisions in human insight.

The role combines early-stage exploratory work with rigorous quantitative validation, and requires mentoring junior researchers while advocating for customer needs across the