Staff Market Researcher

About the role

Market Research at Thumbtack partners closely with marketing and product teams to serve as an advocate for our customers and pros. As a senior, genuinely mixed-methods researcher, you'll scope and run both qualitative and quantitative studies end to end — from brand, positioning, and message testing to strategic segmentation and product discovery — and turn them into insights that shape marketing strategy and key product decisions. You'll do this with a high degree of independence in a fast-paced environment, and you'll use AI fluently to work faster and at greater scale.

What you’ll do

• Research Planning & Execution: Independently scope and run mixed-method studies end to end — including surveys you design, program, field, weight, and analyze yourself — ranging from strategic, exploratory work to tactical tests.
• Marketing & Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner closely with marketing, brand, product, design, and data science to identify high-impact research opportunities, and influence decisions.
• AI-Accelerated Research: Use AI tools across the research lifecycle (synthesis, analysis, instrument and guide drafting, reporting) to work faster and at scale, while critically evaluating AI outputs for accuracy and bias.
• Synthesize & Share Insights: Turn qualitative and quantitative data into compelling, trustworthy stories through reports and presentations that influence direction at all levels of the company.
• Methodology Selection: Choose the right method (or combination) for the problem — surveys, segmentation, brand and message testing, in-depth interviews, diary studies, unmoderated testing, and more.
• User & Market Advocacy: Champion the needs of pros and customers, and bring an outside-in market and competitive perspective to how we position and communicate.

In order to be successful, you must bring

• 10+ years of market research experience in fast-paced, consumer-facing organizations, with a track record of senior, staff-level independent impact.
• Genuinely mixed-methods and hands-on with quant: you personally run surveys end to end — design, programming, fielding, weighting, and analysis — and bring a strong qualitative toolkit (e.g., in-depth interviews, focus groups, diary studies, unmoderated testing).
• Deep expertise in survey design and analysis, segmentation, weighting and response effects, competitive analysis, and large-scale quantitative data, plus positioning, message testing, value proposition, and brand/advertising research.
• High AI fluency: hands-on use of AI to accelerate and scale research, paired with the judgment to evaluate outputs critically and apply them responsibly.
• Highly independent and influential: self-directed in scoping and driving studies to decisions with minimal oversight, with a track record of moving marketing and product decisions through research — including with skeptical stakeholders.
• Proficiency with research tools (e.g., Qualtrics, dScout) and data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python), and a strong grasp of when to apply qualitative vs. quantitative methods.
• Degree in a human-behavior-related field (e.g., Market Research, Business, HCI, Economics, Psychology) or equivalent practical experience (MA/MS/PhD preferred), with excellent communication, influence, and collaboration skills.

Expected salary ranges

• For candidates living in San Francisco / Bay Area, San Jose, New York City, or Seattle metros, the expected salary range for the role is currently $227,800.00 - $294,800.00.
• For candidates living in Austin, TX or Washington DC metros or in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Washington states, the expected salary range for the role is currently $204,900.00 - $265,100.00.
• For candidates living in all other US locations, the expected salary range for this role is currently $193,800.00 - $250,800.00.