Graduate Student Research Assistant Jobs in Quebec

Search is being rewritten. Come help us shape what's next.

Buyers used to start on Google. Now they ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini which vendors to trust. Getting recommended by an AI assistant is a different problem from ranking on a search page - some people call it Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), some call it AEO, and the field hasn't agreed on a name yet. That's how early this is.

At Flexspring - the leading expert in HR data integration - we're investing in it now rather than waiting for the playbook to be written.

You'll work directly with our VP of Marketing and SEO Specialist across both halves of the job: the SEO discipline that's thirty years old and well understood, and the AI-search side that's about two years old and largely unmapped. You'll run experiments, analyze results, and help build our approach. You'll own real projects and leave with a portfolio that shows measurable business impact.

What you'll do

• Run keyword research and build the topic clusters and content roadmap that come out of it
• Figure out what actually makes AI assistants cite a company as a source - and apply it to us
• Track how we appear in Google, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini
• Handle on-page optimization and support technical SEO audits
• Support backlink outreach and digital PR across HR tech and enterprise software publications
• Use AI tools to accelerate research, competitive analysis, and reporting
• Analyze rankings, traffic, and AI citations to recommend what we do next

What you'll walk away with

A full audit covering both traditional search and AI visibility for a real iPaaS company. A keyword strategy and content architecture you built. Technical recommendations backed by your own research. Practical experience measuring how a brand shows up inside AI assistants - something very few marketers can claim yet.

What we're looking for

This is a new field. There's no textbook and no established playbook, so we're screening for evidence you move first rather than wait for instructions.

• You've used AI tools to do something nobody assigned you - automated a workflow, run an experiment, built a small tool, tested how an LLM answers questions in a space you care about. Tell us what you tried and what happened, including the parts that failed.
• You can read data and find the story in it - rankings, traffic, citations, whatever the numbers are
• You write clearly and catch details - this work is judged on precision
• You form opinions and say them out loud - we want someone who'll tell us when an approach isn't working, not someone waiting for direction
• You work well independently in a fully remote team

Required eligibility - please confirm before applying

• Enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution for the full duration of the internship. You must hold active student status from your start date through your final day. Graduating partway through the term makes you ineligible.
• Physically located in Canada for the full duration of the internship. We're fully remote, but you must be working from within Canada the entire time - this role can't be performed from abroad, including on a temporary basis.
• Legally eligible to work in Canada.

Your program can be Marketing, Communications, Business, Data Science, Economics, Computer Science, Information Systems, or something adjacent - we're flexible on discipline, not on the three points above.

Coursework, side projects, freelance work, a blog you grew, a Discord bot you built - all count equally. We care what you've done with your curiosity, not where you got your credential.

Nice to have:

Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Search Console, GA4, or Screaming Frog familiarity with B2B SaaS or HR tech basic HTML or site structure knowledge. French is an asset, not a requirement.

Why you'll love it:

Fully remote with flexible hours. Direct mentorship from senior marketers. You'll be working in a space with no established playbook - we're expecting you to bring us ideas we haven't had and to tell us when something isn't working. Freedom to experiment with tools that barely existed two years ago, and work you'll actually want to talk about in your next interview.

About Flexspring

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Montreal, we've delivered 3,000+ custom HR integrations for 800+ organizations, including Fortune 500 companies. More than 50 HR software providers recommend us to their customers. ADP Marketplace Platinum Partner and HR Data Integration Experts of the Year 2025. We're a fully remote team of ~120 people. Everything Connects.

Flexspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, qualifications, and merit. Accommodations are available on request at any stage of the recruitment process.