Principal, Design Researcher

Sam's Club; Bentonville (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k)

Stock purchase

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Sam's Club is seeking a Principal Design Researcher to deliver high-impact insights shaping a holistic member and associate experience. You will translate complex data into clear narratives, facilitate workshops, and guide stakeholders to define problems and opportunities.

You will lead both qualitative and quantitative research, mentor researchers, and partner with business units to drive ROI and KPIs. Expect leadership, storytelling, and strategic influence across Walmart/Sam's Club

Qualifications

• Option 1: Bachelor's degree in UI/UX design, graphic design, visual communication, product design, computer science, information technology, or related area and 5 years’ experience in market research, business analysis, UX design research, or related area.
• Option 2: 7 years' experience in market research, business analysis, UX design research, or related area.
• As permitted by applicable law, provide evidence of full vaccination as defined by CDC guidelines OR secure approval of medical or religious accommodation for the vaccination mandate.

Responsibilities

• Lead design research initiatives to identify customer needs and business challenges, driving product and process improvements.
• Develop and execute research strategies using qualitative and quantitative methods, including user interviews, contextual inquiries, and usability testing.
• Analyze data and synthesize insights to inform user experience design and anticipate risks or gaps in product journeys.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to align research outcomes with business objectives and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate workshops, stakeholder communication and consensus-building through clear, data-driven presentations and reports.
• Coach team members and cross-functional partners elevating research craft, strategic thinking, and the quality and impact of research across the organization.

Skills

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Leadership

Stakeholder influence

Research storytelling

Synthesis

Journey maps

Service blueprints

Systems thinking

Human-centered design

Education

Bachelor's degree in UI/UX design or related field

Job description

Position Summary...A Principal Design Researcher, will deliver high-impact, actionable insights that shape a holistic experience strategy for our members and associates. You are a master storyteller—transforming complex data into clear, compelling narratives. You will facilitate workshops to help teams define the right problem to solve, frame opportunity areas, collaborate with stakeholders to define research goals. You are an expert at selecting the right research methodologies, making sense of the data, and translating findings into actionable-frameworks, narratives, and engaging research presentations. You will partner closely with interdisciplinary teams, including business stakeholders to influence decisions, build aligned visions, and drive measurable business outcomes.

What you'll do...About the team:

The Sam’s Club Experience Strategy team designs impactful experiences across clubs, digital platforms, and associate tools. This team leads strategic design research to deepen organizational insight and empathy. Principal Researchers combine hands-on research with leadership, mentoring researchers to deliver high-quality insights that guide business decisions. Emphasizing creativity, strategic thinking, and effective storytelling, the team transforms data into actionable recommendations. Collaboration and influencing stakeholders are central, ensuring research drives meaningful value and measurable impact throughout the organization.

What you’ll do:

• Lead design research initiatives to identify customer needs and business challenges, driving product and process improvements.
• Develop and execute research strategies using qualitative and quantitative methods, including user interviews, contextual inquiries, and usability testing.
• Analyze data and synthesize insights to inform user experience design and anticipate risks or gaps in product journeys.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to align research outcomes with business objectives and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate workshops, stakeholder communication and consensus-building through clear, data-driven presentations and reports.
• Coach team members and cross-functional partners elevating research craft, strategic thinking, and the quality and impact of research across the organization.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in research, including qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing research projects and collaborating and influencing with partners across business units.
• Responsible for methodological integrity, quality insights, and outputs that drive business outcomes, linking research to ROI and Business KPIs
• Become a translator of research and connective tissue between all stakeholder groups ensuring alignment on the problem to solve .
• Proficiency in synthesizing data from multiple sources to inform design decisions, mitigate risks, and the necessary artifacts (journey maps, service blueprints, etc).
• Strong systems thinking and human-centered design with the ability to understand interconnected experiences across channels, teams, processes, and touchpoints.

At Sam's Club, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet!

• Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage
• Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance
• Paid time off benefits include PTO, parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.

For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices.

• Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.

Live Better U is a company paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.

Benefits

For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000.00 - $220,000.00

Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include Regional Pay Zone (RPZ) (based on location).

Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Option 1: Bachelor's degree in UI/UX design, graphic design, visual communication, product design, computer science, information technology, or related area and 5 years’ experience in market research, business analysis, UX design research, or related area.

Option 2: 7 years' experience in market research, business analysis, UX design research, or related area.

As permitted by applicable law, provide evidence of full vaccination as defined by CDC guidelines OR secure approval of medical or religious accommodation for the vaccination mandate.

Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Driving product development in a design research area, Market Research, Business Analysis, UX Design Research, or related area, Master's degree in UI/UX Design, Interactive and Visual Design, Product Design, or related area, Related industry experience (for example, retail, supply chain, eCommerce, healthcare), Research or design certification (for example, IDEOU - Foundations in Design Thinking Certificate), We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location...

2101 Se Simple Savings Dr, Bentonville, AR 72712-4304, United States of America

Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment.