Staff Experience Researcher
Research
Team
Thumbtack helps millions of people confidently care for their homes.
Thumbtack is the one app you need to take care of and improve your home — from personalized guidance to AI tools and a best-in-class hiring experience. Every day in every county of the U.S., people turn to Thumbtack to complete urgent repairs, seasonal maintenance, and bigger improvements. We help homeowners know projects to do, when to do them, and who to hire from our growing community of 300,000 local service businesses. If making an impact inspires you, join us. Imagine what we’ll build together.
About the Research Team
We are a high-performing, tight-knit team of embedded researchers who work closely with cross-functional product partners to deliver outstanding experiences for our users. Our researchers tackle complex challenges, generating insights that shape both product strategy and user experience. We're a nimble, ever-evolving group that learns from one another and our collaborators to refine our methods, stay ahead of industry trends, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in UX.
“What I love most about the Thumbtack Design team is the mix of impactful work and career growth in a low-ego, supportive environment.”
Jaclyn
Product Design Manager
“What I love most about the Thumbtack Design team is the mix of impactful work and career growth in a low-ego, supportive environment.”
Jaclyn
Product Design Manager
About the Role
As a Staff UX Researcher on Thumbtack’s New Hiring Experiences team, you’ll be at the forefront of discovering what’s next—using creative, iterative research approaches to bring clarity to ambiguity and guide early-stage product direction. You won’t just conduct research; you’ll play a key role in shaping bold, strategic bets and influencing how we build dynamic, complex user experiences. You’ll collaborate closely with product, design, engineering, data science, and other disciplines to move quickly, learn deeply, and build with purpose. With a focus on qual-leaning mixed methods and sprint-style collaboration, you’ll not only inform what we build—you’ll influence how we build, mentoring others and helping elevate the team’s research culture along the way. This role is essential to making sure our innovation efforts are not only fast and inspired—but grounded in real user needs.
What you'll do
- Lead fast-paced, mixed-method research to inform early-stage product strategy and uncover new opportunities
- Translate ambiguous problem spaces into clear direction through sharp insights and strategic thinking
- Partner closely with design, product, and engineering to rapidly test concepts, iterate on ideas, and shape MVPs
- Craft compelling narratives that influence senior stakeholders, align cross-functional teams, and drive evidence-informed decisions
- Inspire a prototype-forward, innovation culture across cross-functional teams—mentoring peers, guiding research practice, and championing bold, iterative ways of working across product teams
- Champion a user-centered mindset across the broader team, advocating for the needs of both customers and pros
- Influence multiple product areas and partner teams, scaling the impact of research beyond your immediate scope
In order to be successful, you must bring
- 10+ years of experience leading user research in fast-paced, cross-functional product environments, with a strong emphasis on 0→1 and innovation-focused work (design consultancy and pathfinding experience a plus)
- Experience operating in sprint-style or agile environments, with comfort influencing rapid iteration and in-the-moment product decisions
- Deep expertise in qualitative methods and a mixed-methods mindset, with a sharp ability to choose the right approach for ambiguous, evolving product questions
- A proven track record of shaping early-stage product and business strategy through bold, actionable insights that drive clarity and direction
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to build alignment across product, design, engineering, and executive stakeholders
- A creative, solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to operate independently in ambiguous, 0-to-1 product spaces
- Strong leadership presence, with experience mentoring researchers, elevating team practices, and influencing cross-disciplinary partners toward more iterative, prototype-driven ways of working
Perks & Benefits
Supporting you at work and beyond
In addition to our virtual-first model, we offer:
Recharge with PTO, in addition to 20 company-wide holidays each year, including a week-long end-of-year shutdown.
$1,000 USD/$1,400 CAD annual stipend for professional development, self care, office set-up and more. We also provide cell phone and Wi-Fi reimbursements.
All parents receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and birthing parents receive 8 additional weeks, for a total of 20 weeks of 100% paid parental leave (US & CAN).
$30,000 USD/CAD lifetime max reimbursement for family planning.
12 coaching sessions and 12 therapy sessions for yourself and your dependents. We also offer one-on-one financial guidance from a financial wellness provider.
$1,800 USD/CAD annual stipend to book a pro on Thumbtack for virtual or in-person services — anything from home care services to planning a child’s birthday party and beyond.
Perks & Benefits
Supporting you at work and beyond
In addition to our virtual-first model, we offer:
30 days of PTO (pro-rated based on start date), including a week-long, end-of-year shutdown and a 15% night shift differential.
PHP 46,000.00 annual stipend to use for professional development, self care, office set-up and more. We also provide PHP 1,500/month internet allowance.
12 coaching sessions and 12 therapy sessions for yourself and your dependents. We also offer one-on-one financial guidance from a financial wellness provider.
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HMO coverage includes yourself and up to three of your dependents (two at no cost). We also cover common-law and same-sex domestic partners.
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