Principal Researcher - Agentforce Platform

Salesforce•Seattle, WA

About The Position

Salesforce is seeking a Principal Researcher for the Agentforce Experience team. This team focuses on products and experiences that enable customers to have seamless, streamlined, and scalable platforms that power their businesses. The role will support product strategy, user experience, and customer success across core infrastructure and services, data, integration, AI, and analytics to redefine the future of enterprise software and evolve the way we work. The Principal Researcher will distill complex problems into insights that inform product, design, development, and business decisions. The ideal candidate will have domain expertise in AI and data platforms, including unstructured data and metadata processing, AI guardrails and governance, Agent building and observability, and API management and integrations. This role will work cross-functionally across highly technical teams, helping to root strategy in action; manage collaborative efforts across multiple research initiatives; and focusing on customer value above all else. The role involves working 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. The researcher will also contribute back to the broader Research & Insights organization through mentorship, cultivating and teaching craft and methodology, and facilitating deep collaboration across individuals and teams.

Requirements

10+ years of experience conducting research in product research, user research, or other technology contexts
Advanced understanding of research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and best practices, and familiarity with a broad range of user research tools
Excellent project management, communication, storytelling, and presentation skills
Advanced understanding in survey methodologies and tools (i.e. MaxDiff, Conjoints, segmentation, advanced analytics, SPSS, R)
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)
University degree in a research- or business-focused discipline or in a field emphasizing human behavior (e.g., Psychology, Anthropology, HCI, Business, Research Methodology, Experimental Design, Design Research)
Familiarity with enterprise software, particularly “as-a-service,” and its evolving personas (Admins, Developers, Data Engineers, BI, IT, CIOs, CDOs)
Experience with enterprise AI adoption, data solutions and integration capabilities
Advanced competency across mixed research methods

Nice To Haves

Domain expertise in AI and data platforms — think unstructured data and metadata processing, AI guardrails and governance, Agent building and observability, and API management and integrations.

Responsibilities

Scope and drive full research initiatives, including planning, developing, and executing studies, managing stakeholders, triangulating data, and translating insights into actions
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
Synthesize research findings into actionable insights by creating narratives to frame problems and highlight the business value of recommended solutions
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
Contribute back to the broader Research & Insights organization through mentorship, cultivating and teaching craft and methodology, and facilitating deep collaboration across individuals and teams