Sr. Researcher, Consumer Insights

General Information

Job Name

Sr. Researcher, Consumer Insights

Country/Region

United States of America

State

California

City

Milpitas

Work Location

Milpitas Office

Work Mode

Employees work in a hybrid mode

Salary Range

$121,400.00 - $206,400.00

Exemption Status

Exempt

Business Function

Project & Program Management

Employment Type

Full-time

Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we’re living in and that we have the power to shape.

Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality.

Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward.

Description

About the Role

We are looking for a curious, hands-on mixed-methods researcher to help Sandisk understand the people behind every photo, file, and project our products protect. As Sr. Researcher, you will lead research end to end across the full consumer lifecycle, from early innovation and product development to brand, go-to-market, and shopper insights.

This role is ideal for someone equally at home in a focus group backroom and in an SPSS output window. You will choose the right method for each business question, design and program the research yourself, analyze the data with rigor, and turn what you learn into clear, confident recommendations that shape what we build and how we bring it to market. You will also help define how our team uses AI and LLMs to work faster and smarter without compromising quality.

This is a highly visible, stakeholder-facing role. You will build relationships across the business, proactively secure the input and decisions research depends on, and make sure insights land with the people who act on them.

Key Responsibilities

Mixed-Methods Research Leadership

• Lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative studies with minimal supervision, from research brief through final readout
• Partner with stakeholders to translate business questions into clear objectives, learning plans, and fit-for-purpose methodologies
• Blend qual and quant approaches so findings explain both what consumers do and why they do it

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong, trusted relationships with partners across Product Management, Engineering, Product Marketing, Brand, and Sales/Channel teams
• Engage stakeholders proactively from intake through readout: align on objectives, gather requirements, and secure timely input, feedback, and approvals
• Own follow-through, tracking down open decisions, stimulus, and sign-offs to keep studies moving without waiting to be asked
• Manage expectations on scope, timing, and trade-offs, and navigate competing priorities with diplomacy and persistence
• Serve as the go-to research partner, bringing the consumer voice into planning conversations early rather than after decisions are made

Qualitative Research

• Plan and manage focus groups end to end: recruiting specs and screeners, discussion guides, stimulus, facilities, moderation (in-house or vendor-led), and client backroom management
• Run complementary qualitative methods as needed, such as in-depth interviews, in-home and onsite visits, shop-alongs, and usability sessions
• Synthesize qualitative findings into themes, consumer language, and implications that stakeholders can act on

Quantitative Research & Survey Programming

• Design questionnaires and program surveys directly in platforms such as Qualtrics, Decipher, or Alchemer, including logic, quotas, randomization, and piping
• Own survey quality: testing, soft launch, sample management, data cleaning, and weighting
• Analyze data in SPSS, from crosstabs and significance testing to regression, driver analysis, and segmentation
• Apply advanced techniques such as conjoint, MaxDiff, and TURF where appropriate

AI-Enabled Research

• Use AI and LLM tools to speed up research workflows, such as open-end coding, transcript synthesis, desk research, and drafting questionnaires and discussion guides
• Help build team best practices for responsible AI use, including validating outputs, protecting data privacy, and keeping human judgment at the center
• Contribute to our Consumer Knowledge Center so past learnings are easy to find and reuse

Insights & Storytelling

• Turn findings into clear, executive-ready stories with a sharp “so what” for product, marketing, and sales teams
• Present insights to stakeholders at all levels and help translate data into business decisions

Project Management & Research Operations

• Manage multiple projects at once, keeping timelines, budgets, quality, and stakeholder alignment on track
• Manage research vendors and agencies, including scoping, briefing, and quality oversight
• Support vendor onboarding and procurement processes for research projects
• Help refine research templates, tools, and best practices across the team

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in consumer insights, market research, UX research, or a related field (client-side or vendor-side)
• Proven mixed-methods experience, with end-to-end ownership of both qualitative and quantitative studies
• Hands-on experience planning and managing focus groups, including screeners, discussion guides, recruiting, and facility or vendor coordination
• Ability to design and program surveys independently in at least one major platform (e.g., Qualtrics, Decipher, Alchemer)
• Proficiency in SPSS for data analysis, including crosstabs, significance testing, and multivariate techniques
• Proven stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage cross-functional partners at all levels, follow up persistently, and keep projects moving
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills, with high attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn data into compelling narratives
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred

• Experience applying AI and LLM tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM) to research design, analysis, or synthesis
• Moderation experience for focus groups and in-depth interviews
• Experience with advanced analytics such as conjoint, MaxDiff, TURF, segmentation, or key driver analysis
• Experience with global or multi-country studies
• Experience in consumer technology, electronics, gaming, or CPG categories
• Familiarity with Q, Tableau, Power BI, R, or Python
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Market Research, Psychology, Sociology, Business, Statistics, or a related field

What Success Looks Like

Stakeholders seek you out early because your research makes their decisions easier. Your studies are well designed, your data is trusted, and your recommendations are clear. You help the team do more with less by bringing smart, responsible AI practices into everyday research work.

Compensation & Benefits

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future.
• You will be eligible to participate in Sandisk's Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan, which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance. Depending on your role and your performance, you may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to Sandisk's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program, employee stock purchase plan, and the Sandisk's Savings 401(k) Plan.
• Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Additional Information

Sandisk is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf) poster.

Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at jobs.accommodations@sandisk.com to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.