Product Research Specialist

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About Zello

Zello is a voice-first communication platform, powered by our industry-leading push-to-talk technology, to improve collaboration and productivity for desk-less workers. With over 175+ million users, we’re the #1 rated push-to-talk app in the world, delivering 9 billion (yes, with a B) messages a month. 

At Zello, our company values are at the heart of what we do everyday. We’re proud to serve the frontline, we’re privileged to connect people in times of crisis across the globe, and we’re honored to support first responders.

And this is where you come in.

Zello helps organizations stay connected with fast, reliable push-to-talk communication. Our products are used by frontline workers across Retail, Hospitality, Aviation, Manufacturing, and Construction, where communication quality and hardware reliability matter enormously.

We’re looking for a curious, hands-on Product Research Intern to help us identify the wired and Bluetooth headsets that frontline workers in Retail and Hospitality trust most today. This role is a blend of desk research, in-person field visits to top Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations, and hands-on internal product testing, with a direct line to vendor outreach decisions.

This is a part time, contract role.

What you’ll do

Research the headset landscape (wired & Bluetooth)

• Identify and catalog wired and Bluetooth headsets that are widely adopted in Retail and Hospitality environments today

• Survey customer reviews, industry forums, trade publications, and retail/hospitality communities to understand which devices people love and why

• Document key specs, pricing, availability, connectivity type, and user sentiment for each headset identified

Conduct in-person field research across Austin

• Visit top Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations to observe headset usage in real work environments

• Speak with frontline staff and managers to understand what they use, what works, and what doesn’t

• Document field observations and surface insights that desk research alone can’t capture

Build and maintain a structured headset database

• Create and manage a clear, well-organized list of headset candidates with evaluation criteria

• Track attributes such as build quality, compatibility, durability, comfort, and frequency of positive mentions

• Prioritize headsets based on popularity, quality signals, and relevance to Zello’s target environments

Coordinate and manage internal testing

• Source and purchase top-ranked wired and Bluetooth headsets for hands-on testing

• Conduct your own basic testing of each device, evaluating call clarity, comfort, build quality, and ease of use

• Organize and distribute testing materials

• Collect and consolidate internal feedback into a clear, structured summary for decision-making

Support vendor shortlisting

• Analyze test results and research findings to help narrow the field to vendors meeting Zello’s quality bar

• Prepare clear summaries and recommendations to inform vendor outreach conversations

• Assist in documenting criteria for vendor selection and partnership potential

By the end of your internship, you will have

• Researched and cataloged the leading wired and Bluetooth headsets used in Retail and Hospitality

• Conducted in-person field visits to top Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations to gather firsthand insights

• Personally tested devices and contributed your own evaluations to the team’s assessment

• Managed the end-to-end process of purchasing and coordinating internal device testing

• Delivered a clear headset shortlist with supporting data to guide Zello’s vendor outreach

• Gained real-world product research experience with direct impact on product decisions

Who you are

• Naturally curious and enjoys digging deep to find answers

• Organized and detail-oriented. You keep your work structured and easy to follow

• Comfortable working independently and taking initiative without being told every step

• A clear communicator who can summarize complex findings simply

• Interested in how hardware and software work together in real-world environments

• Comfortable using spreadsheets, research tools, and AI tools to work efficiently

• Has reliable personal transportation to travel to Austin-area Retail and Hospitality locations for in-person field research

• Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a relevant program (Product Design, Engineering, Technology Management in the Business school or similar)

Nice to have (not required)

• Familiarity with Retail or Hospitality operations

• Prior experience with competitive or market research

• Experience writing structured research reports or product briefs

• Interest in hardware, accessories, or enterprise technology

This role is not

• A software engineering or development role

• A marketing or sales internship

• A passive observation experience, you will own real deliverables

• A role with a fixed script, you will be expected to think, problem-solve, and adapt

How we work

• Customer-led: we start with real user needs, not assumptions

• Outcome-oriented: we care about impact, not just effort

• Collaborative: we work closely across Product, Design, and Engineering

• High ownership: everyone on the team, including interns, does meaningful work

We hire for potential, passion for our mission, and a knack for solving difficult problems over checking every qualification box. We have competitive pay, equity with significant upside, and intentionally design our benefits to encourage healthy and well-balanced employees, flexible schedules and time off. We even offer a sabbatical after every five years of service so you’re able to pursue and enjoy what matters most to you. And of course, we wouldn’t be a technology company without a ping-pong table and free snacks in our break room. Join us!

Zello provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

All Zello personnel are required to comply with defined security, privacy, and compliance requirements applicable to their role along with requirements that are applicable to all Zello personnel.