Senior Research Operations Program Manager

About the teamThe Research Operations team sits within a multidisciplinary team of researchers, Zillow Research & Insights (ZRI), which includes Customer and Partner Insights Strategists, UX Researchers, Behavioral Scientists, and Population Scientists. We all play a significant role within the greater product and marketing organizations. ZRI sits within Zillow Experience Design (ZxD), a fast-paced, collaborative, and driven product design team.
We create useful, usable, and innovative experiences for Zillow customers across web, mobile, and internal software platforms, with a deep focus on quality.
Our team cares deeply about solving problems for real people – customers, co-workers, and everyone else. We seek to make everything a little better than we found it. We’re a tight-knit, fun-loving, and upbeat group and we’re excited to grow our Research Operations team with this role!

About the role

The Senior Research Operations Program Manager will spearhead the development and implementation of programs designed to optimize research processes. With a strong emphasis on efficiency, automation, and AI-driven workflows, the first priority will be streamlining the recruitment of B2B research participants, such as Real Estate Agents and Property Managers.

In this role, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including research, design, product management, marketing, engineering, and data science, to identify and implement automation opportunities that will enhance the team's impact, scale, and efficiency. While your primary focus will be on operational tasks, you will also play a key role in supporting the evolution and growth of the Research Ops function at Zillow.

This role requires a good balance of strategy and tactical execution, sharp communication skills and the ability to collaborate widely across the business. Are you looking for a dynamic blend of Product Management (ensuring we are building the right thing), Project/Process Management (helping the team/organization to operate effectively), and Technical Knowledge (supporting/leading the team through technical challenges)? This role uses those skills to reduce operational burden on researchers so they can focus on increasing the impact of research.

You Will Get To: 

• Lead researcher enablement programs, including building recruitment and in-field support programs from the ground up.

• Align recruiting efforts with Zillow Group’s evolving needs through collaboration with ZRI researchers, leadership, and key collaborators.

• Partner with research operations leadership to set team goals, roadmaps, and optimize team resources.

• Proactively identify and drive improvements in research effectiveness.

• Create, socialize, and maintain repeatable processes for research (e.g. communications, templates, process mapping etc.), using AI to scale your role.

• Own systems for project documentation, status tracking, and reporting.

• Build and maintain trusted, cooperative relationships with cross-functional partners.

• Use strategic tools (including prompt writing for LLMs/other AI-backed approaches), systems, and data to analyze trends, deliver insights, define goals, and improve processes.

• Facilitate meetings to drive progress, establish next steps and owners, and resolve blocks.

• Report on achievements and impact of managed programs.

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $145,500.00 - $232,500.00 Annually. This base pay range is specific to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location.

Who you are

You are an experienced Research Operations Program Manager who excels at automating manual systems, saving researchers time. You have the technical skills to implement these solutions and can explain technical processes to non-technical audiences. You build trust with partners, drive systemic improvements, and communicate clearly within cross-functional teams.

You have:

• Proven ability to develop and implement new processes and address challenges proactively

• Technical proficiency in maintaining automated workflows across multiple platforms; experience with APIs is a plus

• Passion for using AI to accelerate research, including expertise in prompt engineering and AI-driven analysis

• Ability to manage multiple complex projects with attention to detail and a hands-on approach

• Experience driving initiatives, securing resources, raising concerns, and resolving issues

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills

• Strong sense of ownership and commitment to improvement

• Ability to balance business needs with excellent customer experiences

Experience:

• 4+ years in research operations program management, including 3+ years with research teams (e.g., UX Research, Market Research, Applied Science) in product development

• Building, implementing, and driving processes to recruit research study participants, including those with disabilities

• Establishing and maintaining internal participant recruiting panels (B2B environment a plus)

• Partnering with Data Science, Operations, Legal, Product, Marketing, Design, and Engineering to solve research process issues

• Collaborating with internal and vendor Engineering teams to implement automations (e.g., APIs)

• Proven track record of collaborating with cross-functional groups to produce results

• Managing operational routines and internal-facing project teams

• Thriving in a fast-paced work environment with strong problem-solving skills

Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• Facilitating discussions and engaging with business and research managers

• Familiarity with project management and data platforms (e.g., Salesforce, SimonData, Qualtrics, Databricks, Jira, Slack), distributed architecture, and platform integration (e.g., Zapier)

• Developing and managing metrics to measure program success

• Familiarity with change management methods

• Maintaining respectful relationships while upholding schedule and progress requirements

• Self-motivated with exceptional time management skills

• Process mapping experience

• Experience with Qualtrics

• People management experience; strong coaching and development skills

• Experience working in OR general understanding of agile product development

Transferable Skills:

Here at Zillow - we value the experience and perspective of candidates with non-traditional backgrounds. We encourage you to apply if you have transferable skills or related experiences. 

Get to know us

Zillow is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people.

As the most-visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates help movers find and win their home through digital solutions, first class partners, and easier buying, selling, financing and renting experiences. Millions of people visit Zillow Group sites every month to start their home search, and now they can rely on Zillow to help make it easier to move. The work we do helps people get home and no matter what job you're in, you will play a critical role in making home a reality for more and more people.

Our efforts to streamline the real estate transaction are supported by a deep-rooted culture of innovation, our passion to redefine the employee experience, a fundamental commitment to Equity and Belonging, and world-class benefits. These benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverages as well as parental leave, family benefits, retirement contributions, and paid time off. We’re also setting the standard for work experiences of the future, where our employees are supported in doing their best work and living a flexible, well-balanced life. But don’t just take our word for it. Read recent reviews on Glassdoor and recent recognition from multiple organizations, including: the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equity Index, and TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Zillow Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact your recruiter directly.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local law.

Applicants who receive job offers from Zillow Group will be asked to sign a Proprietary Rights Agreement which includes confidentiality, intellectual property assignment, customer and employee non-solicitation, and non-competition provisions. If you are contacted for a role at Zillow Group and wish to review a copy of the Proprietary Rights Agreement prior to receiving an offer, you may request a copy from your Recruiter.