Rapid Researcher

Figma•San Francisco, NY

14h•Hybrid

About The Position

Figma is growing our team of passionate creatives and builders on a mission to make design accessible to all. Figma’s platform helps teams bring ideas to life—whether you're brainstorming, creating a prototype, translating designs into code, or iterating with AI. From idea to product, Figma empowers teams to streamline workflows, move faster, and work together in real time from anywhere in the world. If you're excited to shape the future of design and collaboration, join us! The Figma Research team is seeking a dynamic and experienced Researcher to join our Rapid Research program. This role is integral to our mission of connecting teams with customers throughout the development process, enabling confident iteration with a profound understanding of user impacts. As a Rapid Researcher at Figma, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our products by delivering actionable recommendations that drive strategic decisions. You have deep expertise in a variety of research methods, but you don't hold those methods precious. You can flexibly apply any tool in an unconstrained way to drive impact for the business. You'll work closely with product managers, designers, and engineers to integrate user feedback into the product lifecycle, ensuring that our solutions meet and exceed user expectations. You'll rotate across product areas and teams, so comfort navigating new contexts and building relationships quickly will be vital to your success. At Figma, we believe your role as a researcher is to bring your point of view to the table—not simply to regurgitate observations and insights.This is a unique opportunity to join a team that values direct dialogue with our user communities, fostering a strong, human-centered approach to product development. If you're passionate about advancing your research discipline and making a significant impact, Figma is the place for you to do the best work of your career. This is a full time role that can be held from one of our US hubs or remotely in the United States.

Requirements

7+ years in research/design roles at fast-paced product organizations, UX/design agencies, or strategic consultancies focused on digital experience
Proficient in mixed methods research, including qualitative (e.g., interviews) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, data analysis) approaches
Proven communicator and storyteller, with a track record of presenting recommendations that secured executive buy-in or drove product changes
Quickly ramps up on new projects and delivers measurable impact (1-2 weeks from start to finish)
Actively integrates AI tools into their research workflow to increase speed, quality, or scale

Nice To Haves

Experience in a major tech company with a strong evaluative research function
A knack for figuring out ambiguous problems and shaping them into clear goals
Proficiency with designing and prototyping—ideally within the Figma suite of tools
Adaptable and scrappy, with a history of thriving in fast-paced, dynamic environments

Responsibilities

Conduct research studies to gather user feedback and insights throughout the development process, working in quick sprints
Synthesize research findings into actionable product recommendations that land with stakeholders and inspire action
Present product recommendations to cross-functional teams and senior leadership, telling the story behind the data—not just reporting insights
Rotate across product areas and teams as needed, building credibility and relationships quickly without being embedded long-term
Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to integrate user insights into the product development process
Continuously evaluate existing product experiences to surface strategic opportunities and keep Figma alert to user needs
Lead and mentor junior researchers on best practices and methodologies
Experiment with tools, templates, and workflows to make research faster and sharper