Mercury - Research Operations Lead

• Define how research works at Mercury: the processes, standards, and ways of working that let Product, Design, and Marketing run research with autonomy • Own our customer research panel end to end, including customer databases, outreach, and continuous recruitment • Run the day-to-day operations that keep research moving, including scheduling, incentives, consent, and privacy and ethical guardrails • Consult across the team on research best practices, helping designers and PMs plan studies, choose methods, and turn feedback into insight • Partner closely with design managers, designers, and PMs so customer evidence informs decisions from early discovery through post-launch usability and funnel analysis • Own our research tool stack (including Dovetail, Maze, and Rally), along with vendor relationships, budget, and build-versus-buy decisions • Build AI-enabled workflows that help teams prepare for customer conversations and synthesize feedback, while holding a high bar for evidence, privacy, and human judgment • Pilot new ways of getting close to customers, such as rolling research programs and customer events like research dinners • Manage and coach one direct report, setting priorities and supporting their growth while staying hands on in the work • You should: • Have 8+ years of hands-on research operations experience and a track record of building or scaling a program with measurable impact • Have 1-2 years of people management experience • Be a thought leader in the space • Thrive in ambiguity where the discipline isn't fully figured out • Be an excellent coach to non-researchers, building their judgment and confidence • Use AI in your daily work and stay curious about what's genuinely useful versus merely new • Communicate clearly with practitioners and senior stakeholders • Nice to have: qualitative research experience, quantitative fluency, and familiarity with fintech.