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Program Manager Research Operations Jobs in Oakland, CA

nudge

Research Operations Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Experience leading research operations, study operations, program management, or similarly complex interdisciplinary projects * Excellent project management and organizational skills * Experience ...

Healy World

Research Operations Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Experience leading research operations, study operations, program management, or similarly complex interdisciplinary projects * Excellent project management and organizational skills * Experience ...

New

Mercor

Research Program Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

As a Research Program Manager, you will play a central role in coordinating the development ... You'll work across research, operations, and marketing to ensure evaluations are executed ...

Mercor

Research Operations, Code

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$130K - $250K/yr

About the Role In the Research Operations role at Mercor, you will work at the intersection of ... This role will own multi-million-dollar data programs end to end with responsibilities to: * Reason ...

Abaka AI

Research Program Associate

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Support operational coordination across ongoing research initiatives and collaborations * Manage ... programs and open-source initiatives * Help improve internal workflows and operational processes ...

Abaka AI

Research Program Associate

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Support operational coordination across ongoing research initiatives and collaborations * Manage ... programs and open-source initiatives * Help improve internal workflows and operational processes ...

Socket.dev

Research Program Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$80 - $100/hr

To effectively manage the ongoing operations of the Center and to facilitate the growth of new ... research staff, and this program manager role, all working in close cooperation. Close ...

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All JobsProgram Research Operations JobsProgram Manager Research Operations JobsProgram Manager Research Operations Jobs in Oakland, CA

Program Manager Research Operations information

See Oakland, CA salary details

$45.9K

$125.7K

$182K

How much do program manager research operations jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for program manager research operations in Oakland, CA is $125,732.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,200.00 and $152,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a program manager research operations?

Program Manager Research Operations are professionals who oversee and coordinate the administrative and operational aspects of research programs within organizations such as universities, corporations, or healthcare institutions. Their responsibilities typically include managing budgets, ensuring compliance with regulations, supporting research teams, and improving efficiency in research processes. They act as a bridge between researchers, administrative staff, and external partners to ensure projects run smoothly and meet organizational goals. Program Managers in Research Operations play a critical role in enabling scientific and academic research by providing strategic and logistical support.

What are the main challenges program managers in research operations typically face when coordinating cross-functional teams?

Program Managers in Research Operations often encounter challenges related to aligning diverse stakeholders, balancing multiple project timelines, and ensuring smooth communication between research, product, and operations teams. Successfully navigating these challenges requires strong organizational skills, adaptability, and the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining research quality and compliance. Regularly facilitating meetings, setting clear expectations, and using project management tools help mitigate these challenges and ensure collaborative progress.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a program manager research operations, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Program Manager Research Operations, you need expertise in research administration, project management, and budget oversight, often supported by a relevant degree and experience in research environments. Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Asana, MS Project), research compliance systems, and grant management platforms is typically essential. Strong leadership, organizational skills, and effective communication enable collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders. These skills ensure efficient research operations, regulatory compliance, and successful project outcomes.

What is the difference between Program Manager Research Operations vs Research Coordinator?

AspectProgram Manager Research OperationsResearch Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in related field, project management certifications often preferredBachelor's degree in a relevant field, research experience
Work EnvironmentOversees multiple projects, collaborates with teams, manages budgetsSupports research projects, handles data collection, assists with study logistics
Employer & IndustryResearch institutions, biotech, pharma, academiaResearch labs, clinical settings, academic institutions
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding managerial roles in research operationsDetails on research support roles and coordination tasks

The Program Manager Research Operations typically oversees multiple research projects, manages teams, and handles budgets, requiring project management skills. In contrast, a Research Coordinator focuses on supporting specific research studies, managing data collection, and logistical tasks. Both roles are essential in research environments but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What are popular job titles related to Program Manager Research Operations jobs in Oakland, CA?

For Program Manager Research Operations jobs in Oakland, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Program Manager Research Operations jobs in Oakland, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Program Manager Research Operations jobs in Oakland, CA are:

What cities near Oakland, CA are hiring for Program Manager Research Operations jobs?

Cities near Oakland, CA with the most Program Manager Research Operations job openings:

Program Manager Research Operations jobs near you
Infographic showing various Program Manager Research Operations job openings in Oakland, CA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 74% Full Time, 25% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,732 per year, or $60.4 per hour.

Program Manager - Research Operations

Adverb

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Other

Posted 2 days ago

New

Job description

Outset invented a better way to do research: AI-powered user interviews.

Global brands like Hubspot, Microsoft, Uber and Nestle use Outset to achieve deeper, qualitative insights about their users at unprecedented speed and scale.

The research industry is massive (>$140B and growing) and ripe for disruption. Incumbents are outdated, slow, and burdened by high-cost services. That's our opportunity.

Outset is backed by top Silicon Valley investors and raised a $30M Series B in December 2025—less than six months after our Series A—led by Radical Ventures with participation from M12 (Microsoft’s venture arm), 8VC, Y Combinator, and Adverb Ventures.

The raise follows a breakout year, with our business growing 8x as enterprise customers across industries adopt our category, AI‑moderated research, as the new standard for understanding people.

We’re a tight-knit team serving some of the world’s largest enterprises.

Participant recruitment at Outset spans a global partner network, internal process, and the product experience itself — and this role owns all three. Rather than running recruitment study by study, you'll build the system that makes it predictable at scale. You'll be Outset's authority on recruitment: the connective tissue between our partners, our teams, and our product.

Responsibilities

  • Own partner performance and communication, with a system to assess and continually optimize each partner's quality, reliability, and best-fit use cases.

  • Negotiate preferred rates and commercial terms, and build the feasibility process (incidence rates, targeting, which vendor for which use case) that keeps recruitment predictable as volume grows.

  • Design and document the end-to-end recruitment process, from intake through delivery — with fill-time benchmarks by audience/screening criteria and a clear playbook for tracking and escalating at-risk projects.

  • Build the internal enablement and training that gets the GTM team up to speed and confident in how recruitment works.

  • Partner with Product and Engineering on the recruitment experience — fraud detection, identity verification, quality flagging, refunds — bringing structured, evidence-backed problems into the product roadmap.

  • Identify and spec internal tooling that reduces manual ops work.

  • Translate how recruitment works into content for two audiences: best-practice guidance for Account Directors/AEs, and customer-facing explanations of our role, our partners' role, and what to expect.

Qualifications

  • 5–10 years in research operations, participant recruitment, or panel/vendor management, with deep expertise in digital qualitative recruitment; experience with quantitative recruitment is a plus

  • Hands-on understanding of how participant recruitment actually works: panels and marketplaces, screeners, incidence and feasibility, soft launches, quotas, incentives, fraud, and quality control.

  • Track record managing vendors and partners — selecting, negotiating, holding accountable, managing spend.

  • Genuine program management ability — you can hold a messy, cross-functional problem in your head, sequence it, and drive it to a working system.

  • Experience at both a large organization and a startup. We want the enterprise process instincts and the scrappiness to build fast without waiting for permission.

  • Strong communicator — able to distill complex, cross-functional information into clear training, documentation, playbooks, and customer-facing content.

  • Comfortable with AI tooling for content and automation; experience building AI tooling/dashboards a plus.

  • Highly independent — this role is built for someone who defines priorities as much as executes them.

  • Bonus: experience at a research platform, panel provider, or research agency.

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