Research Operations Lead
Hybrid (San Francisco, CA), Hybrid (New York, NY), Hybrid (Portland, OR), Hybrid (Remote within Canada or United States)$189.4k - $236.7kPosted 4d ago
About the role
Lead the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of Mercury's Research Operations program. Own the research enablement model, toolstack, and AI-enabled workflows; coach a direct report; partner with design, product, and marketing; and pilot innovative ways to bring customer learning into decision-making.
Responsibilities
- Own the strategy, roadmap, and operating model for research at Mercury, enabling Product, Design, and Marketing to run research with autonomy
- Apply senior research judgment to complex or high-stakes work, using recurring gaps to strengthen the standards and guidance that raise research quality across Mercury
- Partner closely with design managers, designers, and PMs so customer evidence informs decisions from early discovery through post-launch usability and funnel analysis
- Own our research tool stack (including Dovetail, Maze, and Rally), along with vendor relationships, budget, and build-versus-buy decisions
- Own and improve Mercury’s AI-enabled workflows for research planning, customer conversations, and synthesis, maintaining high standards for evidence, privacy, and human judgment
- Pilot new ways of getting close to customers, such as rolling research programs and customer events like research dinners
- Make customer learning visible across Mercury, surfacing patterns that deepen teams’ understanding of the people they serve
- Manage and coach one direct report, setting priorities and supporting their growth while staying hands on in the work
Qualifications
- 8+ years of hands-on research operations experience and a track record of building or scaling a program with measurable impact
- 1-2 years of people management experience
- Be a thought leader in the space
- Have qualitative research experience and quantitative fluency
- Thrive in ambiguity where the discipline isn't fully figured out
- Be an excellent coach to non-researchers, building their judgment and confidence
- Use AI in your daily work and stay curious about what's genuinely useful versus merely new
- Communicate clearly with practitioners and senior stakeholders
Skills
Required:Research operations leadershipQualitative researchQuantitative fluencyPeople managementAI-enabled workflowsStakeholder communication
Benefits
- Total rewards package includes base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits
- Salary and equity ranges updated based on industry data; new hire offers aligned with experience, location, and internal pay equity
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Mercury
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