Senior Experience Researcher

Thumbtack•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Researchers at Thumbtack are embedded within product teams and serve as advocates for both customers and pros. As a Senior Experience Researcher, you'll shape research strategy for multiple product pods, including one focused on bringing a recent acquisition into the Thumbtack ecosystem — and connect that work to our broader Demand Growth strategy. You'll run mixed-methods studies end to end, but you'll also do more than answer questions: you'll help define what the pods should learn next, build the frameworks and measurement systems that guide decisions, and influence product strategy at the leadership level. This is an AI-forward practice — we expect you to use AI fluently across the research lifecycle, to build reusable AI tooling as needed, and to help define how AI-enabled research should evolve.

Requirements

8+ years of applied research experience, with a track record of senior, independent impact
A degree in a behavioral or social science field (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Experimental Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Information Science, Economics) or equivalent practical experience; advanced degree preferred.
Strong command of both qualitative and quantitative methods across product phases, with mixed-methods depth (interviews, surveys, usability and concept testing) and fluency in analysis choices (significance, sample sufficiency); proficient with research and analysis tools (e.g., Qualtrics, dscout; R, SPSS, or Python).
SQL a plus.
A track record of building frameworks, measurement systems, segmentations, or research programs that went beyond a single study.
High, demonstrated AI fluency across the research lifecycle, paired with the judgment to evaluate outputs critically and apply them responsibly.
Evidence of building reusable AI tooling — agents, automated workflows, or prototypes — that others adopted, and a point of view on how AI-enabled research should evolve. (You'll be asked to show your work.)
Highly self-directed in ambiguity, with demonstrated influence on product strategy with senior (GPM/director-level) stakeholders and excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills.

Nice To Haves

experience standing up or scaling research in a new or fast-changing area (0-to-1, integrations, or post-acquisition)
experience researching AI-powered products
knowledge of home services, marketplaces, or small business platforms.

Responsibilities

Independently scope and run mixed-method studies end to end, and define your product area’s research agenda — identifying high-leverage questions before they're obvious.
Tie research to Thumbtack's broader demand growth strategy — surfacing how we can better drive customer demand and where the biggest opportunities and risks lie.
Develop the frameworks, measurement systems, and mental models that guide decision-making as the acquisition integrates into Thumbtack.
Get up to speed quickly on an unfamiliar product, market, and user base; turn loose, high-stakes problem spaces into clear strategy and research plans.
Use AI fluently across the research lifecycle, and build reusable AI tooling (agents, workflows, automations, prototypes) that the broader team adopts. Help define how AI-enabled research operates in the pods, while critically evaluating outputs for accuracy and bias.
Partner with product, design, engineering, and data science — and influence lead/director-level decisions through insight.
Turn complex data into compelling, exec-ready narratives that shape direction at all levels.