Job Description
Overview:
At Zebra, we are a community of innovators who come together to create new ways of working. United by curiosity and a culture of caring, we develop smart solutions that anticipate our customer’s and partner’s needs and solve their challenges.
Being part of Zebra Nation means you are seen, heard, valued, and respected. Drawing from our unique perspectives, we collaborate to deliver on our purpose. Here you are part of a team pushing boundaries today to redefine the work of tomorrow for organizations, their employees, and those they serve.
You’ll have opportunities to learn and lead in a forward-thinking environment, defining your path to a fulfilling career while channeling your skills toward causes you care about—locally and globally.
Come make an impact every day at Zebra.
What We're Looking For:
This role leads exploratory and generative research to uncover unmet customer needs, shape opportunity spaces, and inform future product direction. The researcher works across UX Research and Design Research practices to investigate customer contexts, workflows, and systems—often before solutions are defined.This role is primarily focused on H2 research, helping teams move beyond known problems toward future opportunities.
Role Overview
This role leads exploratory and generative research to uncover unmet customer needs, shape opportunity spaces, and inform future product direction. The researcher works across UX Research and Design Research practices to investigate customer contexts, workflows, and systems—often before solutions are defined.
This role is primarily focused on Horizon 2 research, helping teams move beyond known problems toward future opportunities.
Anticipate up to 25% travel
Key Responsibilities
Lead exploratory, generative, and mixed‑method research to identify customer needs and opportunity areas
Frame and refine research questions in ambiguous or emerging problem spaces
Plan and conduct contextual field research, including customer interviews and on‑site observational studies
Analyze end‑to‑end workflows, journeys, and enterprise systems to surface patterns, tensions, and unmet needs
Synthesize findings into themes, implications, and opportunity areas that inform product and portfolio direction
Partner with product, design, and business stakeholders to shape hypotheses and downstream initiatives
Influence roadmap discussions, prioritization, and longer‑term investment decisions
Help teams align around customer‑centered problem definitions before solution development begins
Conduct field‑based research and customer visits, including travel (up to 25%), to support contextual inquiry, observational research, and needs‑finding efforts
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, HCI, Human Factors, Anthropology, Sociology, Cognitive Psychology, or related field
1-3 years of experience conducting applied research, including needs‑finding or exploratory work**
Demonstrated ability to independently frame, plan, and deliver research in ambiguous contexts
Strong skills in synthesis, sense‑making, and communicating implications to varied stakeholders
Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% to support research activities
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related discipline
Experience combining UX Research and Design Research methods [H2]
Familiarity with service design, systems thinking, or enterprise / frontline work contexts
Incentive Compensation:
In addition to base pay, Zebra offers this role the opportunity to earn a performance-based annual cash incentive, at a target equal to 10% of base pay, in accordance with the terms of the applicable incentive plan.Job Posting Statement:
To protect candidates from falling victim to online fraudulent activity involving fake job postings and employment offers, please be aware our recruiters will always connect with you via @zebra.com email accounts. Applications are only accepted through our applicant tracking system and only accept personal identifying information through that system. Our Talent Acquisition team will not ask for you to provide personal identifying information via e-mail or outside of the system. If you are a victim of identity theft contact your local police department.
AI Technology Statement:
Zebra Technologies leverages AI technology to evaluate job applications using objective, job-relevant criteria. This approach enhances efficiency and promotes fairness in the hiring process. However, every decision regarding interviews and hiring is made by our dedicated team, because we believe people make the best decisions about people. For more on how we use technology in hiring and how we process applicant data, see our Zebra Privacy Policy.