Lead Researcher, Platform Automation

Salesforce•San Francisco, CA

7d•$172,500 - $285,800

About The Position

Salesforce is seeking a Lead Researcher to support Automation Services and Developer Experiences. Automation Services is the team behind Flow Builder and the automation layer that powers Agentforce. Millions of admins and developers build on these tools every day, running over 600 billion automations a month. Developer Services is the team behind the APIs, tools, and integration capabilities that empower developers to build, test, and release applications on the Salesforce Platform with confidence and efficiency. As these processes become agentic — where users increasingly instruct and collaborate with AI across their workflows — we are looking for a Lead Researcher to help keep customers at the center of the innovation. The researcher will distill complex problems into insights that inform product, design, development and business decisions. The ideal candidate will have domain expertise in enterprise platform solutions and one or more related topics such as platform automation, workflow, low-code/no-code building tools, developer building tools, and integration. Candidates should also have some experience and understanding of Generative AI and related technologies. This role will work cross-functionally across highly technical teams, helping to root strategy in action; manage collaborative efforts across multiple research initiatives; and focus on customer value above all else. We require familiarity with enterprise software, particularly “as-a-service,” and its evolving personas (e.g., Admins, Developers, Data Analysts, Business Users, CIOs, CDOs, CTOs). Candidates must have mixed-methods expertise, understanding how to leverage qualitative and quantitative approaches to distill complex problems into clear insights driving product and business strategy. Sound like you? Then you're someone we want to work with! Join our amazing team and you'll get to work with some of the best and brightest. You'll find a culture focused on innovation, and the opportunity to deliver great experiences to millions of end-users. And, by the way, you’ll work for a company that has been named – 10 years running – in Fortune 100 Top Places to work.

Requirements

Please include a portfolio of 1-2 research projects with details of your direct contributions with your application.
7+ years of hands-on experience in UX, product design, or technology research, with at least 2 years in a large, matrixed organization.
AI Fluency: A working grasp of how AI systems fail and learn. You know when to deploy AI for efficiency and when the "human in the loop" is non-negotiable.
Advanced understanding of research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and best practices, and familiarity with a broad range of user research tools
Proven track record influencing product direction and strategy with actionable insights
Ability to plan, design, execute and communicate both strategic and tactical research engagements
Ability to structure and lead internal and external workshops and analyze the outcomes to provide insight for stakeholders
Experience working in cross-functional teams (e.g. customer success, solution architects, design, product management, engineering, marketing)
Excellent project management, communication, storytelling, and presentation skills
Global Collaboration: Comfortable working with and across globally dispersed teams (AMER/APAC) and navigating the nuances of different market needs.
Understanding of the software development lifecycle.
University degree in a field emphasizing human behavior (e.g., Psychology, Anthropology, HCI) or a research-focused business discipline.

Nice To Haves

Domain expertise in enterprise platform solutions and one or more related topics such as platform automation, workflow, low-code/no-code building tools, developer building tools, and integration.
Some experience and understanding of Generative AI and related technologies.
Familiarity with enterprise software, particularly “as-a-service,” and its evolving personas (e.g., Admins, Developers, Data Analysts, Business Users, CIOs, CDOs, CTOs).

Responsibilities

Scope and drive full research initiatives, including planning, developing, and executing studies, managing stakeholders, triangulating data, and translating insights into actions.
Synthesize research findings into actionable insights by creating narratives to frame problems and highlight the business value of recommended solutions.
Proactively partner with senior management across cross-functional teams, including product, design, engineering, and customer success to identify and advocate for product strategy rooted in data and customer insights.
Conduct strategic, generative, and evaluative research using the appropriate mix of research methods, from large-scale survey design to in-depth interviews.
Work on fast-paced and oftentimes ambiguous projects and programs, requiring attention to detail and working within constrained timelines, by staying true to scope and focusing on end goals and outcomes.
Shepherd the integration of AI tools (e.g., Claude, Gemini) to accelerate the research lifecycle. You’ll be responsible for separating "AI noise" from meaningful signals, validating AI-generated outputs for accuracy, and crafting interactive prototypes, dashboards, and research workflows with AI tooling.
Ethical Stewardship: Maintain the highest data integrity and ethical research standards, particularly as we navigate the complexities of AI bias, privacy, and "ethical imagination" in product development.
Contribute to our broader Research & Insights organization through mentorship, cultivating and teaching craft and methodology, and facilitating deep collaboration across individuals and teams

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package including well-being reimbursement, generous parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility benefits, and more!
World-class enablement and on-demand training with Trailhead.com
Exposure to executive thought leaders and regular 1:1 coaching with leadership
Volunteer opportunities and participation in our 1:1:1 model for giving back to the community
time off programs
medical
dental
vision
mental health support
paid parental leave
life and disability insurance
401(k)
employee stock purchasing program