Staff User Researcher

AfterShip

• $165K — $232K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Consumer Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of applied UX/user research experience, preferably in SaaS or e-commerce.
  • Proven ability to independently lead research strategy and roadmap.
  • Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods, recognized as a subject-matter expert.
  • Experience influencing executive leadership on strategic research questions.
  • Strong synthesis and storytelling skills, with a portfolio showcasing actionable recommendations.
  • Experience mentoring researchers and enhancing team capabilities.
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Design, or related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Mandarin proficiency is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Identify, prioritize, and execute research that informs product strategy across the company.
  • Design and conduct research studies to understand merchants and shoppers' experiences globally.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop proactive research initiatives.
  • Translate research findings into actionable insights for product and business strategy.
  • Set quality standards for the research team and mentor junior researchers.
  • Identify best practices in research methodologies and emerging trends.
  • Proactively discover new user and business opportunities.

Benefits

  • Great Place to Work Certified, promoting an inclusive and collaborative culture.
  • Innovative and inclusive work environment fostering creativity and teamwork.
  • Opportunity to make a significant impact in the dynamic eCommerce space.
  • No ceiling on career growth and learning opportunities.
  • Flexible remote-first work setup with adaptable hours.
  • Healthcare coverage from day one.
  • Retirement plans with company match.
  • Unlimited PTO policy.
  • Annual learning and wellness benefits.
  • Monthly book perk for personal development.
  • Career progression and professional development support.
Full Job Description
Your Mission:

As a Staff User Researcher, you'll set and own the research agenda across multiple AfterShip product areas and systems, shaping post-purchase strategy at the organizational level. You'll proactively identify the questions and new opportunities that matter most and translate findings into a product and business perspective that leadership acts on. You'll also raise the bar for the research function as a whole: setting quality standards, mentoring researchers, and providing input into others' roadmaps.

You'll partner with cross-functional leadership across Product, Design, Product Marketing, Engineering, and Data, and report to the Manager of User Research. This is a remote position, with a preference for candidates in the United States. This role requires collaboration with teams located in Asia and Europe, which may require working outside of regular business hours 2-3 times/week.

What You'll Do:
  • Identify, prioritize, lead, and execute on research that generates insights to inform product strategy across the company - leading your own roadmap independently and helping shape the broader team's.
  • Define, design, execute, and socialize a range of research studies that build a strong understanding of existing and future merchants and shoppers, and their experiences around the world.
  • Partner with cross-functional teams - Product, Design, Data Science, Engineering, and Product Marketing - to proactively develop research initiatives.
  • Translate research into a product and business perspective, and align cross-functional leadership - including Directors and VPs - on key strategic questions across domains.
  • Set the quality standard for the research team: mentor researchers, build repeatable practices, and serve as a subject-matter expert.
  • Identify best practices in existing and emerging research methodologies.
  • Proactively identify new areas of user and business opportunity.


Who We're Looking For:
  • 8+ years of applied UX/user research experience, including leading research across multiple product areas or a business domain (SaaS and/or e-commerce a plus).
  • Proven ability to lead research strategy and roadmap independently.
  • Deep, comprehensive expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods; recognized as a subject-matter expert who can set standards for others.
  • A track record of influencing at the executive level and aligning leadership on strategic questions.
  • Strong synthesis and storytelling - turning complex research into clear, actionable recommendations that drive decisions, evidenced by a portfolio or work samples.
  • Experience mentoring researchers and elevating a team's craft.
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Design, or a related field - or equivalent practical experience.
  • Thrives with full autonomy in a remote-first, distributed organization.
  • Mandarin proficiency is strongly preferred.

At AfterShip, we know great talent doesn't always fit every requirement. If you're passionate about our mission and believe you can make an impact, we encourage you to apply.

Why You Should Join Us:
  • Great Place to Work Certified: We've been recognized for our inclusive, values-driven culture that celebrates diversity and collaboration.
  • Innovative & Inclusive Culture: Started by our software engineer-turned-CEO, AfterShip is built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. We're a passionate, global team of problem solvers who put egos aside to innovate together. We take immense pride in fostering a culture that's inclusive, which has allowed us to surround ourselves with the industry's most talented professionals.
  • Ambitious Mission with Real Impact: Join us in transforming eCommerce by making buying and selling easier for everyone. It's one of the most dynamic spaces in tech, with limitless opportunities to innovate and grow.
  • Thrive & Grow: There's no ceiling to what you can achieve or learn here. We're committed to empowering your career while advancing together as a company.
  • Flexible Work Setup: We're a remote-first team, meaning by default that employees work from home or on a hybrid-flexible basis in our hub locations. You're empowered to choose a work setup that works best for you and your team. With flexible hours depending on your time zone, you'll be able to have a schedule that fits your working style and the requirements of your role.

Perks:
  • Competitive compensation
  • Remote-first/hybrid-flexible work setups
  • Healthcare coverage offered from day 1
  • Retirement plans including company match
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Annual learning & wellness benefit
  • Monthly book perk
  • Career progression & professional development
  • In-office lunch and commuter benefits for those located in our hub locations

Base salary range for this role: USD$165,000 - $232,500/ CAD$151,000 - 200,000

We believe in hiring right over hiring fast. While timelines may vary, we're looking to fill this role as soon as possible.

Our hiring process uses AI to help with initial resume screening and to support interview note-taking. These tools help our team stay organized and fair, but all hiring decisions are made by people.

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