UX Researcher

About the role

Starbucks is looking for a UX Researcher to join its Digital UX & Design team in Seattle. The role sits within the broader digital organization and focuses on building a deeper understanding of Starbucks customers and partners across digital products and platforms.

You will support research that informs product decisions, customer journeys, and long-term experience planning. Working closely with design, product, and engineering teams, you will help ensure solutions are grounded in real user needs and contribute to experiences used by millions of people, including mobile ordering and loyalty engagement, while supporting the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy.

What you will do

• Assist with qualitative research activities such as user interviews, contextual inquiry, diary studies, and usability testing, with guidance from senior researchers.
• Turn research insights into practical outputs like reports, journey maps, insight libraries, and presentation materials.
• Work alongside a collaborative team of researchers and strategists.
• Coordinate with designers, product managers, engineers, and business partners to bring research into design and development workflows.
• Handle participant logistics, including recruitment support, screener creation, consent paperwork, and study scheduling.
• Keep up with new UX research approaches, tools, and industry developments, and share fresh ideas with the team.
• Help strengthen a company-wide mindset centered on curiosity and user needs.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience in UX, product, or consumer insights work.
• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, HCI, Sociology, Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Design, or a similar discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Working understanding of quantitative analysis, behavioral analysis, and statistics.
• Ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriately.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex findings clearly to non-research audiences.
• Experience or familiarity with tools such as UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, dScout, or Qualtrics.
• Familiarity with Figma is a plus.

Additional information

The company offers a broad benefits package for partners and their families, which may include medical, dental, and vision coverage; basic and supplemental life insurance; other voluntary insurance options; short-term and long-term disability; paid parental leave; family expansion reimbursement; vacation starting from the date of hire; sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked; eight paid holidays; and two personal days each year.

Eligible partners may also receive access to a 401(k) plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program, the Bean Stock equity program, incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools. Education support can include 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program under the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, plus student loan management resources and other learning opportunities. Backup care and DACA reimbursement are also available.

Vacation accrual rules vary by state and level. In CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND, or RI, non-director roles accrue up to 120 hours annually, or 190 hours in California; director and above roles accrue up to 200 hours, or 316 hours in California. In other states, vacation starts at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for director-level and above.

Compensation is determined by factors such as job-related skills, experience, location, and internal equity. Starbucks notes that candidates are not usually hired at the top end of the pay range. The company works onsite four days per week.

Starbucks is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered in line with applicable laws. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities by contacting the company through the provided accommodation channels.