Applied Data Researcher

Figma AI; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 235,000 - 376,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, dental and vision coverage

Retirement benefits with company-cone

Parental leave and family planning

Paid time off and paid sick leave

Job summary

Figma is seeking an Applied Data Researcher to combine scientific depth with a builder mindset. You will work across Data Science, Engineering, Product, Design, and AI Research, leading investigations into critical questions and building data products, tools, and prototypes.

Reporting to the Head of Data, you will guide teams of scientists and engineers while contributing substantially to code and methods. You will identify opportunities, develop evaluation methods for generative AI, and

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistics, causal inference, or related quantitative field.
• Hands-on experience in generative AI evaluation and measurement, including evals, labeling, and agentic workflows.
• Fluent in Python or a comparable language, plus SQL; able to build, debug, test, and review software with AI-assisted tools.
• Proactive builder mindset with end-to-end ownership: identify opportunities, develop methods, implement, evaluate, and drive adoption.

Responsibilities

• Identify and vet opportunities across Data products and AI evaluation; shape priorities with partners.
• Develop and validate methods for evaluating generative AI and agentic workflows; build baselines and rubrics.
• Write code and build/adapt LLM-powered tools, models, prototypes, and demos.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship for scientists and engineers; contribute to code and methods.
• Drive delivery with engineering to turn prototypes into maintained systems; balance quality, latency, cost, and speed.
• Establish reusable methods and standards; drive adoption and communicate findings to executives.

Skills

Python

SQL

Generative AI evaluation

Agentic workflows

Education

MS or PhD in ML/CS/Statistics

Tools

Snowflake

AWS

Dagster

dbt

Hex

Job description

Figma is growing our team of passionate creatives and builders on a mission to make design accessible to all. Figma’s platform helps teams bring ideas to life—whether you're brainstorming, creating a prototype, translating designs into code, or iterating with AI. From idea to product, Figma empowers teams to streamline workflows, move faster, and work together in real time from anywhere in the world. If you're excited to shape the future of design and collaboration, join us!

Figma is building the system of record for digital product development: collaborative tools with natural interfaces that bring PMs, developers, QA, and designers together. That creates new-to-the-world problems in how we build AI products, understand how people use them, and evaluate what makes them useful. You'll work with a unique, petabyte-scale dataset with rich traces of collaborative design and product building to tackle those problems. We're looking for an Applied Data Researcher who combines scientific depth with a proactive builder mindset. Reporting directly to our Head of Data, with regular visibility with C-level executives, you'll identify and vet opportunities, lead investigations into critical questions, and build useful Data products, tools, and prototypes. You'll work across Data Science, Engineering, Product, Design, and AI Research, building directly and providing technical direction to teams of other scientists as efforts grow.

This is a full time role that can be held from one of our US hubs or remotely in the United States.

What you'll do at Figma:

• Identify and vet consequential opportunities across Data products and tools, AI measurement and evaluation, and applied data capabilities; lead investigations and shape priorities with partners
• Develop and validate methods for evaluating generative AI and agentic workflows, including representative datasets, baselines, rubrics, and evals; investigate uncertainty, bias, failure modes, and real user outcomes
• Personally write code and build or adapt LLM-powered tools, agentic workflows, models, prototypes, and demos that test scientific, product, and tool hypotheses, using AI-assisted coding and analysis in your work
• Provide technical direction and oversight for larger projects, delegate work to teams of senior and staff scientists, and mentor scientists and engineers while maintaining a substantial personal contribution to code and methods
• Independently drive delivery or partner with engineering to turn useful prototypes into maintained systems, balancing quality, latency, cost, reliability, and iteration speed
• Establish reusable methods, tools, and technical standards; iterate with users, drive adoption across teams, and use evidence to improve an approach or recommend a change in direction
• Communicate findings, recommendations, limitations, and tradeoffs clearly to partners and C-level executives, connecting scientific and technical work to important product and company decisions

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistics, causal inference, or a related quantitative field, plus hands-on experience in generative AI evaluation and measurement, including evals, labeling, and agentic workflows
• Fluent programming skills in Python or a comparable language, plus SQL, and a record of independently building, debugging, testing, and reviewing useful software, including working effectively with AI-assisted development tools
• A proactive builder mindset and end-to-end ownership: experience identifying important opportunities and carrying ambiguous work through method development, implementation, rigorous evaluation, and sustained use by others
• A sustained record of company-, organization-, or cross-pillar scientific impact, including shaping technical direction, overseeing larger projects, and leading other senior scientists through influence and delegation
• Strong judgment, independence, and collaborative communication, including experience making recommendations to C-level executives, explaining uncertainty and tradeoffs, and aligning partners on priorities and decisions

While it's not required, it's an added plus if you also have:

• Experience with human labeling, automated judge validation, conversational data, or multimodal AI and machine learning
• Experience building interactive applications, lightweight interfaces, APIs, or reusable open-source tools
• Cloud and data infrastructure experience; familiarity with Snowflake, AWS, Dagster, dbt, or Hex is useful, but no particular vendor or framework is required
• An MS or PhD in machine learning, computer science, statistics, or a similar quantitative discipline; graduate research, publications, or equivalent applied depth

At Figma, one of our values is Grow as you go. We believe in hiring smart, curious people who are excited to learn and develop their skills. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the points outlined in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Pay Transparency Disclosure

Job level and actual compensation will be decided based on factors including, but not limited to, individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process (including skills and prior relevant experience, potential impact, and scope of role), market demands, and specific work location.

Figma offers equity to employees, as well as a competitive package of additional benefits, including health, dental, and vision coverage; retirement benefits with company contributions; parental leave and reproductive or family planning support; mental health and wellness benefits; and paid time off. Figma provides paid sick leave, holidays, and other leave benefits in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the requirements of the Washington Minimum Wage Act and related regulations. Exempt employees are eligible for employer-provided paid flexible PTO in addition to flexible paid sick leave. PTO is subject to manager approval. Additional benefits may include company recharge days, cell phone and home internet reimbursements, and a number of lifestyle spending accounts. Figma also offers sales incentive compensation for most sales roles and an annual bonus plan for eligible non-sales roles. All compensation and benefits are subject to applicable plan terms and may be modified by Figma at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Annual Base Salary Range:

$235,000 - $376,000 USD

At Figma we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our product and our community to flourish. Figma is an equal opportunity workplace – we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

We will work to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to apply for a role, participate in the interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you require accommodation, please reach out to [e-mail]. These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities.

Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to:

• Holding interviews in an accessible location
• Enabling closed captioning on video conferencing
• Ensuring all written communication be compatible with screen readers
• Changing the mode or format of interviews

To ensure the integrity of our hiring process and facilitate a more personal connection, we require all candidates keep their cameras on during video interviews. Additionally, if hired you will be required to attend in person onboarding.

By applying for this job, the candidate acknowledges and agrees that any personal data contained in their application or supporting materials will be processed in accordance with Figma's Candidate Privacy Notice.

Application limits

• Candidates may submit up to 5 applications during any rolling 30-day period.
• Candidates may not reapply to the same role while an application is active or within 90 days of receiving a rejection.

Once the applicable days has passed, candidates are welcome to apply again.