Academia.edu’s mission is to accelerate the world's research. Over the last 16 years we’ve built a world-class global platform for finding and sharing academic research, connecting academics and non-academics to both free research and to each other. With over 261 million users worldwide, 105 million monthly active users, and nearly half of the world's academics using our platform every month, we are uniquely positioned to achieve our mission. 

At the forefront of product thinking at the company, the User Research team not only carries out research, but actively contributes to product strategy, ideation, and planning.

As a Senior User Researcher you will work embedded on one or more teams, or on special projects with broad impact. Our 2024 research roadmap includes foundational research, new product development, onboarding and activation, and improving established features. You will work with PMs to define the research priorities and roadmap for your team, plan and execute both quantitative and qualitative research, and engage in strategy and data discussions with PMs, analysts, and leadership. You’ll use your storytelling skills to present your insights and recommendations to your teams and to senior leadership. You will guide non-researchers in conducting user research and work to increase the company’s user empathy and UX maturity. If you’re excited to build products that deliver value to our users and business, help level-up the research function, and build user empathy, apply now! We look forward to hearing from you. 

Please note that this role is in the San Francisco Bay Area. We're excited to have a packed and lively office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Twice a week, those of us in the Bay Area come to our office located in the Financial District for All Hands, intense collaboration, brainstorming activities, and fun events. There are small rooms for 1-1 mentoring sessions or heads down work, and larger rooms for team activities. We continue to support a flexible work environment for all of life’s surprises and needs with generous time off and flexible work schedules.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end foundational and tactical user research leveraging mixed methods to generate insights and clear product recommendations, not just findings
• Collaborate with product and leadership to identify questions, risks, and opportunities at the nexus of user needs and business objectives
• Triangulate insights across diverse data sources – ranging from user interviews to quantitative analytics to customer support data – to uncover patterns and opportunities
• Develop foundational artifacts, such as user personas, journey maps, and Jobs To Be Done 
• Advocate for users and build user empathy through creative presentations and workshops
• Support PMs and Designers in conducting research while maintaining rigor and reliability

Requirements

• B.A. in social or behavioral science, Human Computer Interaction, or another field with a human-focused research component
• Minimum 5 years of post-graduation, industry experience on digital consumer tech products. We invite those with both in-house and agency experience to apply
• Demonstrated knowledge of end-to-end research, from planning to execution, using multiple qualitative and quantitative methods, including the ability to interpret large-scale behavioral data and apply it within a consumer digital tech product
• Ability to plan and execute research quickly and independently, and manage tight deadlines
• Ability to distill findings into actionable insights and impactful recommendations
• Strong storytelling skills, including demonstrated experience presenting to executives
• Enthusiasm for and demonstrated experience with working in a fast-paced environment with high uncertainty

Preferred Qualifications

• M.A. or Ph.D. degree in a human-focused research discipline
• Strong quantitative data skills
• Direct experience with academic research
• Strong design sensibility
• Experience at both large and small or mid-sized companies

Benefits

• Competitive salary, stock options & 401k
• Fully-covered medical, dental, & vision insurance for employees & dependents
• Flexible hours, 21 days of paid vacation, 12 paid company holidays, and paid parental leave 
• Budget for professional development, team building, and books
• Six weeks of fully-paid sabbatical leave for every four years you work here.

Diversity and Inclusion

Academia is a proud equal-opportunity employer and we are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.