Expa

Sr. Research Associate

Expa • $100K — $130K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Business Services
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 2-5 years of relevant experience with a bachelor's degree
  • Strong analytical and reasoning skills for unfamiliar questions
  • Proficient in using AI tools for research and data analysis
  • Ability to navigate ambiguity and iterate on vague briefs
  • Self-directed with a willingness to learn from experienced colleagues
  • Startup-oriented mindset, seeking engaging challenges over corporate hierarchy
  • Excellent writing skills for clear communication of research findings

Responsibilities

  • Conduct open-ended research projects using online resources
  • Transform complex findings into organized outputs like matrices and briefs
  • Develop insightful analyses that highlight key findings and uncertainties
  • Leverage AI tools to enhance research efficiency and breadth
  • Create lightweight tools or scrapers as needed for specific projects
  • Manage multiple research requests simultaneously and adapt to shifting priorities

Benefits

  • Generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision
  • 401(k) matching
  • Remote work flexibility within the US, with travel to Los Angeles
Full Job Description
The Role

We're looking for a Senior Research Associate who can find out anything about anything. Leadership will come to you with questions - size this market, map the players in this category, who's funding what, what the landscape looks like for XYZ - and you'll come back with an answer that's clear, well-sourced, and actually useful.

Some weeks that means building a competitive matrix across 40 companies. Some weeks it means a deep dive into a single obscure question nobody has written about yet. The projects change, the subject matter changes, and the volume varies week to week.

You'll be exposed to a lot of different projects and ideas, and work directly with a highly accomplished leader and team. If you're the kind of person who reads everything, asks a lot of questions, and wants to be in the room with people operating at a very high level, this is built for you.

What You'll Do
  • Run open-ended research projects using the internet as your primary tool: markets, products, companies, funding activity, competitive landscapes, people, technologies, regulation - whatever the question requires.
  • Turn messy findings into clean outputs: matrices, comparison tables, briefs, landscape maps, one-pagers.
  • Go deep enough to have a point of view, not just a link dump - flag what matters, what's uncertain, and what you'd look at next.
  • Use AI tools aggressively to move faster and go wider than a person could alone.
  • Build lightweight tools, scrapers, or trackers when a project calls for it.
  • Juggle several unrelated requests at once and reprioritize when things shift.

What We're Looking For
  • 2-5 years of experience and a bachelor's degree - you take a task and run with it, but you've got the reps to produce senior-level output: quick turnaround, sharp judgment calls, and less hand-holding needed along the way.
  • Brain power: sharp, curious, and able to reason through a question you've never seen before.
  • AI-native: You live in AI tools - Claude and Cowork, ChatGPT, Gemini, Hugging Face, whatever's newest. Ideally you can vibe code your way to a working script or prototype without waiting on an engineer. Bonus points if you've hit your usage limit more than once.
  • Comfortable in ambiguity: Vague briefs don't paralyze you. You take a first pass, come back with questions, and iterate.
  • Self-directed but coachable: You think independently, but you want to learn from people far ahead of you and take direction well.
  • Startup-minded: You're not looking for a corporate ladder. You want interesting problems, smart people, and range.
  • A strong writer: Your research is only as good as your ability to communicate it in a page or less.

Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary: The anticipated base salary range for this position is $100,000-$130,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, level, and location.
  • Benefits: Generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision, 401(k) matching
  • Location: Can be remote in the US, with significant travel to Los Angeles

About Expa

Expa is a startup studio that works with founders to develop and launch new companies. The company was founded in 2013 by Garrett Camp, co-founder of Uber, and has since launched companies such as Operator, Haus, and Spot. Expa provides a range of services to its portfolio companies, including product development, design, engineering, and fundraising support.
Learn more about Expa
Size
11 employees
Industry
Founded
2013

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