Senior Consumer Researcher 2 (Hybrid, Seattle)

The Customer Insights & Analytics (CI&A) team strives to make Nordstrom the best data-driven fashion retailer among competitors, who wins by rigorous and thoughtful application of data science to unlock value for the enterprise. We focus on three business outcomes: more customers, happier customers, and more engaged customers.    

As the Senior Consumer Researcher 2, you’ll play a pivotal role on our team—acting as both a strategic thought partner to the business and a connector across the broader CI&A team. Our group serves as the headlights of the organization, illuminating opportunities, risks, and pathways forward through deep customer understanding. 

This role goes beyond traditional research. Our team uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies -- from surveys and segmentation to ethnographic shop-alongs and real-time digital immersions -- to get closer to our customers’ needs, motivations, and contexts. The result: clearer connections, more actionable recommendations, and greater impact on the company’s most pressing strategic priorities. We’re looking for a seasoned researcher who thrives in ambiguity, connects dots across diverse data sources and teams, and inspires confidence through clear storytelling and strategic influence. 
 
A day in the life… 

• Lead and deliver end-to-end research initiatives that answer the company’s most critical business questions—independently and in partnership with external vendors - setting the vision and ensuring high-quality delivery. 

• Manage a diverse portfolio of projects across business partners, methodologies, and timelines. 
  Help shape and execute the research roadmap, ensuring alignment across CI&A and broader enterprise priorities. 

• Translate complex, ambiguous questions into strategic research plans, recommending the right methodologies to uncover deep insights. 

• Synthesize data into compelling narratives and clear, actionable recommendations - leveraging storytelling and visualization to influence decision-making at all levels. 

• Integrate insights across multiple sources - including prior research, syndicated data, and external benchmarks - to deliver a holistic view of consumer behavior. 

• Serve as a strategic thought partner, collaborating cross-functionally with Analytics, Strategy, and UX Research to integrate insights and unlock opportunities. 

• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, ensuring insights inform decisions across functions and levels. 

• Mentor and support junior researchers, fostering a culture of curiosity, continuous learning, and excellence within the team. 

• Champion best practices and innovation in research processes, tools, and methodologies to elevate the team’s impact. 

You’ve got this if… 

• 7+ years of experience in consumer research, insights, or analytics; advanced degree a plus. 

• Proven success managing complex, multi-method research programs that drive strategic decisions. 

• Deep expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods across the full research lifecycle. 

• Skilled in qualitative research including ethnographies and in-the-moment methods (e.g., shop-alongs, mobile diaries, store intercepts, discussion boards). 

• Strong ability to connect the dots across multiple data sources and disciplines, distilling complexity into clarity. 

• Expertise with modern DIY research platforms (Qualtrics, AYTM, Quantilope, etc.) and tools for analysis and storytelling (Excel, Tableau, PowerPoint). 

• Experience managing a community/panel of customers and maintaining a calendar of engagement. 

• Experience leading vendor partnerships end-to-end, including RFPs, budget oversight, and project execution. 

• Excellent storytelling and communication skills, with a track record of influencing senior stakeholders. 

• Collaborative and empathetic, with a customer-first mindset and a reputation for building trust across teams. 

• Experience in retail or consumer-facing industries strongly preferred.