Lead Researcher Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Job Category

User Experience

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You're in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

Research & Insights (R&I) is a core function within the Experience organization, and a strategic partner to User Experience (UX) designers, product management, engineering, and go-to-market teams across Salesforce. We are passionate about understanding and solving our customers' issues, using data-driven insights to create experiences that delight. We balance big-picture thinking with detailed craft, and we shape the future of Salesforce for the benefit of millions of end users.

Job Description

We are seeking a Lead Researcher to support Tableau, the world's leading AI-powered analytics platform. Tableau offers intuitive data experiences to help everyone see, understand, and act on their data. This role will shape the next generation of analytics capabilities and tackle complex challenges that our customers face with unlocking the value of data.

The researcher will distill complex problems into insights that inform product, design, development and business decisions. The ideal candidate will have domain expertise in analytics and one or more related topics such as semantics, data prep, data visualization, governance, and data storytelling. Candidates should also have some experience and understanding of Generative AI and related technologies.

This role will work cross-functionally across highly technical teams, helping to root strategy in action; manage collaborative efforts across multiple research initiatives; and focus on customer value above all else. This role will also manage a customer advisory board program, as well as our research presence at Salesforce events such as the Tableau Conference and Dreamforce.

We require familiarity with enterprise software, particularly "as-a-service," and its evolving personas (e.g., Admins, Developers, Data Analysts, Business Users, CIOs, CDOs, CTOs). Candidates must have mixed-methods expertise, understanding how to leverage qualitative and quantitative approaches to distill complex problems into clear insights driving product and business strategy.

Sound like you? Then you're someone we want to work with! Join our amazing team and you'll get to work with some of the best and brightest. You'll find a culture focused on innovation, and the opportunity to deliver great experiences to millions of end-users. And, by the way, you'll work for a company that has been named - 10 years running - in Fortune 100 Top Places to work.

Your Impact and Responsibilities

• Scope and drive full research initiatives, including planning, developing, and executing studies, managing stakeholders, triangulating data, and translating insights into actions.

• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights by creating narratives to frame problems and highlight the business value of recommended solutions.

• Proactively partner with senior management across cross-functional teams, including product, design, engineering, and customer success to identify and advocate for product strategy rooted in data and customer insights.

• Scope and drive externally-facing feedback programs and event activations with leaders from our customer organizations.

• Conduct strategic, generative, and evaluative research using the appropriate mix of research methods, from large-scale survey design to in-depth interviews.

• Work on fast-paced and oftentimes ambiguous projects and programs, requiring attention to detail and working within constrained timelines, by staying true to scope and focusing on end goals and outcomes.

• Shepherd the integration of AI tools (e.g., Claude, Gemini) to accelerate the research lifecycle. You'll be responsible for separating "AI noise" from meaningful signals, validating AI-generated outputs for accuracy, and crafting interactive prototypes, dashboards, and research workflows with AI tooling.

• Ethical Stewardship: Maintain the highest data integrity and ethical research standards, particularly as we navigate the complexities of AI bias, privacy, and "ethical imagination" in product development.

• Contribute to our broader Research & Insights organization through mentorship, cultivating and teaching craft and methodology, and facilitating deep collaboration across individuals and teams

Minimum Requirements

Please include a portfolio of 1-2 research projects with details of your direct contributions with your application.

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in UX, product design, or technology research, with at least 2 years in a large, matrixed organization.

• AI Fluency: A working grasp of how AI systems fail and learn. You know when to deploy AI for efficiency and when the "human in the loop" is non-negotiable.

• Advanced understanding of research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and best practices, and familiarity with a broad range of user research tools

• Proven track record influencing product direction and strategy with actionable insights

• Ability to plan, design, execute and communicate both strategic and tactical research engagements

• Ability to structure and lead internal and external workshops and analyze the outcomes to provide insight for stakeholders

• Experience working in cross-functional teams (e.g. customer success, solution architects, design, product management, engineering, marketing)

• Excellent project management, communication, storytelling, and presentation skills

• Global Collaboration: Comfortable working with and across globally dispersed teams (AMER/APAC) and navigating the nuances of different market needs.

• Educational Foundation: University degree in a field emphasizing human behavior (e.g., Psychology, Anthropology, HCI) or a research-focused business discipline.

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive benefits package including well-being reimbursement, generous parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility benefits, and more!

• World-class enablement and on-demand training with Trailhead.com

• Exposure to executive thought leaders and regular 1:1 coaching with leadership

• Volunteer opportunities and participation in our 1:1:1 model for giving back to the community

• For more details, visit https://www.salesforcebenefits.com/

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you'll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance andbe your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you cando your best. Together, we'll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future - but to redefine what's possible - for yourself, for AI, and the world.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates' resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that's inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $172,500 - $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $207,800 - $285,800 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.