Remote opportunity at
InstacartStaff User Researcher - Consumer
Instacart operates an essential grocery delivery service, connecting customers with household goods while offering earning opportunities for personal shoppers. The company embraces a Flex First remote…
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About This Role
Instacart operates an essential grocery delivery service, connecting customers with household goods while offering earning opportunities for personal shoppers. The company embraces a Flex First remote work model, granting employees the freedom to operate from home, an office, or a preferred coffee shop while maintaining connection through periodic in-person gatherings. As a Staff User Researcher focusing on the consumer sector within Instacart, the professional takes charge of the consumer innovation…
Job Description
Instacart operates an essential grocery delivery service, connecting customers with household goods while offering earning opportunities for personal shoppers. The company embraces a Flex First remote work model, granting employees the freedom to operate from home, an office, or a preferred coffee shop while maintaining connection through periodic in-person gatherings.
As a Staff User Researcher focusing on the consumer sector within Instacart, the professional takes charge of the consumer innovation research roadmap. Working alongside engineering, product, design, data science, and marketing leadership, the person in this role uncovers foundational insights regarding how individuals alter their food behaviors. The position suits an expert who excels at early-stage innovation and rigorous quantitative validation alike, driving strategy for new product experiences centered on health, nutrition, and meals.
The role requires deep expertise in mixed-methods research, combining qualitative observations with quantitative analysis to influence strategic product roadmaps. This individual champions customer perspectives throughout the organization, maintains evolving user knowledge bases, and mentors junior research team members. Candidates must reside in specific Canadian regions, namely Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, or Nova Scotia.
Responsibilities
- Manage and independently direct the research roadmap for the consumer innovation workstream alongside cross-functional leadership.
- Conduct generative, foundational research exploring mental models, barriers, motivations, and behavioral triggers related to food, nutrition, and health.
- Apply behavioral science frameworks to guide research questions and surface insights for product and design problem-solving.
- Execute and oversee mixed-methods studies, encompassing qualitative interviews, ethnographic observations, diary studies, co-creation, surveys, and scaled concept testing.
- Synthesize research into actionable narratives that direct stakeholder decisions from opportunity framing to launch validation.
- Maintain and develop living knowledge bases, consumer personas, and journey maps for organizational use.
- Mentor junior researchers and uphold standards, culture, and craft within the research organization.
- Advocate for customers across the company to influence product strategy and roadmaps through clear insights.
Requirements
- Accumulated eight or more years of consumer or UX research experience inside a product organization, featuring strong exposure to new product development or early-stage innovation.
- Demonstrated background or familiarity with behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, or related disciplines focused on habit formation and change.
- Extensive expertise spanning qualitative methodologies such as in-depth interviews, diary and ethnographic studies, participatory design, and workshop facilitation.
- Strong proficiency in quantitative methods including survey design and analysis, behavioral data interpretation, experimental design, and mixed-methods synthesis.
- Proven capability to spearhead foundational and generative research that defines opportunity spaces and shapes product strategy.
- Exceptional storytelling skills to translate human insights into narratives that drive alignment and action.
- Practical experience collaborating with data science teams to triangulate usage data with qualitative findings.
- Demonstrated ability to influence product roadmaps rather than solely informing them.
- Proficiency in leveraging AI tools to accelerate iterative research processes like screener creation, rapid concept testing, and synthesis while preserving methodological rigor.
- Must reside in one of the eligible Canadian provinces: Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, or Nova Scotia.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in a relevant field such as Psychology, Behavioral Science, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or Anthropology.
- Prior research background within marketplaces, e-commerce, subscription products, grocery, or CPG industries.
- Experience investigating high-visibility consumer surfaces like personalized browse, home feeds, and merchandising placements.
- Background researching activation, onboarding, and retention journeys that establish trust, loyalty, and habits.
- Familiarity with conversational, agentic, or AI-powered product experiences and novel interaction research methods.
- Proven capacity to influence outcomes across multi-team initiatives without possessing direct authority.
- Familiarity with dietary restriction management, health goals, meal planning, and their intersection with grocery shopping behavior.
Core Skills
Benefits
- Market-competitive compensation with a base pay range for Canadian candidates between CAN$189,000 and $199,500 CAD.
- Eligibility for an initial new hire equity grant as well as recurring annual refresh grants.
- Flex First remote work policy allowing employees to choose their workspace location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is this job located and what is the remote policy?
The position is remote under Instacart's Flex First policy, allowing employees to work from home, an office, or another location of their choice. However, hiring for this role is currently restricted to candidates residing in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia.
What is the salary range for this role?
For candidates based in Canada, the base salary range is between CAN$189,000 and $199,500 CAD, with actual offers varying based on skills and experience.
What benefits and extra compensation are provided?
The role offers market-competitive compensation, a new hire equity grant, annual equity refresh grants, and comprehensive benefit offerings.
What are the core educational requirements for applicants?
Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or have equivalent experience, though an advanced degree in a related field such as Psychology, Behavioral Science, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or Anthropology is preferred.
Sample Interview Questions
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