Associate Director, Development Research

United States Digital Space LLC; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in Boston, MA, seeks an experienced product research leader to guide human subjects research across hardware, wearables, and algorithms. You will manage a team delivering end-to-end research for early-stage innovation and product development at the company Labs Boston.

The role focuses on building a strong research culture, collaborating with engineering, ML, hardware, and product teams, and coaching researchers across seniority levels.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a Research Manager, Research Lead, or similar human subjects research leadership role within a technical product development environment.
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, with a demonstrated ability to coach and develop researchers across disciplines and levels.
• Experience supporting research for consumer hardware, sensors, wearables, connected devices, or other physical products strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with physical product development processes, including early-stage prototyping, iterative testing, hardware development timelines, and/or feasibility explorations.
• Data-driven approach to strategic planning, comfortable reviewing metrics and identifying ways to measure research ROI and impact
• Experience collaborating across multiple functions including engineering, privacy/legal, research, recruitment, and product.
• Passion for building a strong team culture and coaching future research leaders.
• Strong organizational, communication, and documentation skills.
• Passion for health, wellness, and the company’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage and scale the human subjects research team with an emphasis on professional development and coaching at multiple levels of seniority.
• Champion research integrity, including ensuring that data collection tools and team practices are optimized for the fast-paced, complex nature of product innovation work.
• Advocate for the needs of your team and their work to unlock high-volume, high-quality research on site at the company Labs Boston.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of program initiatives and track progress towards goals.
• Collaborate closely with other research leaders to build a strong culture across the company Labs and ensure strong ways of working between research execution and operations teams.
• Partner with stakeholders across signal engineering, machine learning, hardware, apparel, and product to coach on working with HSR and facilitate effective collaboration between teams.
• Champion of culture of team trust, support, and communication, emphasizing the complexities of conducting public-facing, high-engagement activities.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Lab Operations and Associate Director of the company Labs Doha to build the the company Labs brand across the global organization.
• Reports to the Sr. Director of Human Subjects Research

Skills

Leadership

People management

Hardware wearables

Data-driven planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Documentation

Coaching future leaders

Health & wellness passion

Job description

At the company, we’re on a mission to unlock human performance. the company empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives.

We are looking for an experienced product research leader to support product development across the company's hardware, wearables, algorithms, sensors, and advanced technology portfolio. You’ll manage a team of research staff that own end-to-end research for early-stage innovation, physical products and apparel, and algorithm development out of the company Labs Boston. You will also contribute to the broader the company Labs research strategy, bringing your research expertise to the Human Subjects Research leadership team.

The ideal candidate brings experience leading researchers in a fast-paced technical product environment, with particular preference for experience supporting hardware, sensors, wearables, or other physical products through iterative development cycles. This position is in-person in Boston, MA 5 days per week with travel 2-3 times per year.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop, manage and scale the human subjects research team with an emphasis on professional development and coaching at multiple levels of seniority.
• Champion research integrity, including ensuring that data collection tools and team practices are optimized for the fast-paced, complex nature of product innovation work.
• Advocate for the needs of your team and their work to unlock high-volume, high-quality research on site at the company Labs Boston.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of program initiatives and track progress towards goals.
• Collaborate closely with other research leaders to build a strong culture across the company Labs and ensure strong ways of working between research execution and operations teams.
• Partner with stakeholders across signal engineering, machine learning, hardware, apparel, and product to coach on working with HSR and facilitate effective collaboration between teams.
• Champion of culture of team trust, support, and communication, emphasizing the complexities of conducting public-facing, high-engagement activities.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Lab Operations and Associate Director of the company Labs Doha to build the the company Labs brand across the global organization.
• Reports to the Sr. Director of Human Subjects Research

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience in a Research Manager, Research Lead, or similar human subjects research leadership role within a technical product development environment.
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, with a demonstrated ability to coach and develop researchers across disciplines and levels.
• Experience supporting research for consumer hardware, sensors, wearables, connected devices, or other physical products strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with physical product development processes, including early-stage prototyping, iterative testing, hardware development timelines, and/or feasibility explorations.
• Data-driven approach to strategic planning, comfortable reviewing metrics and identifying ways to measure research ROI and impact
• Experience collaborating across multiple functions including engineering, privacy/legal, research, recruitment, and product.
• Passion for building a strong team culture and coaching future research leaders.
• Strong organizational, communication, and documentation skills.
• Passion for health, wellness, and the company’s mission.

the company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The the company compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.

At the company, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long‑term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of the company and share in the company’s long‑term growth and success.

The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $140,000 - $180,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job‑related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training.

In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package.

These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements.