Product Research Manager

Jacaranda Health is an organization dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes, leveraging data and technology to design, implement, and scale its innovative programs.

The Research Design & Evaluation (RD&E) team at Jacaranda Health is crucial for generating evidence that supports the design, implementation, scaling, and expansion of the organization's maternal health initiatives. The team is highly skilled in data analysis and technical applications, utilizing advanced technology to develop impactful solutions. This position requires the manager to lead the product research function, ensuring its technical quality, credibility, and seamless integration into the product development lifecycle, while also establishing necessary processes and capabilities.

1. Design and execute mixed-methods research, including usability testing, lightweight surveys, and engagement analysis across products like PROMPTS, DELTA, and PULSE, to answer questions regarding reach, engagement, retention, and effectiveness.
2. Translate product usage data and research insights into clear, actionable recommendations for product, engineering, and design stakeholders.
3. Prioritize research questions, balancing methodological rigor with product delivery timelines to determine whether a full study or a lightweight test is appropriate.
4. Ensure the technical quality, credibility, and actionability of all product research findings.
5. Develop, implement, and manage the operating model for product research, including intake processes, success criteria, templates, and documentation standards.
6. Create enablement resources such as guides, templates, and training to empower product managers to conduct their own lightweight studies over time.
7. Manage the function’s timelines, budget, and resourcing during its initial build-out phase.
8. Ensure that product research operates as a credible, repeatable practice fully integrated into product lifecycles.
9. Partner with Product, Tech, Medical, and Data leads, embedding research into the product delivery lifecycle, including sprint planning and roadmap reviews.
10. Present product research findings to the Head of Department and Technical Team Leadership, connecting product-level insights to Jacaranda’s broader product goals.
11. Ensure product research is recognized as a trusted and integrated partner to product teams.
12. Define the scope for, and recruit, 1-2 Product Research Analysts as demand for research grows.
13. Provide daily technical guidance, structure, and quality review for the analysts' output.
14. Oversee the analysts' onboarding, professional growth, and the quality of their work.

1. A minimum of 5 years of experience in product/UX research or a closely related mixed-methods research role; experience in digital health, behavior-change, or messaging-based products is advantageous.
2. A Bachelor’s degree is required, with a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), behavioral science, public health, or social science preferred.
3. Demonstrated experience in building and managing a research practice or function, including developing templates, processes, and prioritization methods.
4. Strong quantitative literacy, including comfort with engagement, retention, and usage data (e.g., SMS or product logs), alongside qualitative methods such as usability testing and interviews.
5. Proven experience in influencing product decision-making.
6. Experience partnering directly with product managers, designers, developers, analysts, and engineers within a product/agile delivery cadence.