Head of Research Operations

Jobgether; United States; Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Flexible time-off policy

Hybrid work arrangement

Laptop + onboarding stipend

Catered lunch

Job summary

Jobgether is seeking a Head of Research Operations in the United States to own the strategy, performance, and continuous improvement of the research delivery organization. You will lead Programming, Fieldwork, and Data QA functions, including offshore teams, and drive automation and scalable processes to support global expansion.

The role combines deep market research expertise with strong people leadership, process design, and collaboration with Product, Sales, and go-to-market teams.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in insights/market research with leadership of operations.
• Experience building scalable, tech-enabled processes.

Responsibilities

• Define the operational strategy and roadmap for Research Operations.
• Lead Programming, Fieldwork, and Data QA functions with direct reports and offshore team.
• Drive automation across survey programming, fieldwork, feasibility, and QA.
• Expand capabilities and support international expansion and new partnerships.
• Manage budget, vendor network, and resource allocation to improve margins.
• Strengthen cross-functional execution to support growth and retention.
• Promote continuous improvement across workflows and org practices.

Skills

Market research

Operational leadership

People management

Survey programming

Automation

Cross-functional leadership

Process optimization

Strategic thinking

Communication

Travel readiness

Tools

Qualtrics

Decipher

Job description

Accountabilities:

As Head of Research Operations, you will own the strategy, performance, and continuous improvement of the research delivery organization. Your responsibilities will include:

• Define the operational strategy: Establish the vision, priorities, roadmap, objectives, KPIs, and operating cadence for Research Operations, aligning investments with business goals and measurable outcomes.
• Lead and develop the team: Manage the Programming, Fieldwork, and Data QA functions, including two direct reports and an offshore team of approximately 10 people. Oversee organizational design, recruitment, onboarding, talent development, performance management, and capacity planning.
• Optimize research delivery: Own end-to-end data collection performance, reducing time to final sample while maintaining rigorous quality standards and improving feasibility for niche audiences, complex studies, and different sampling methodologies.
• Drive automation and innovation: Partner with Product and Engineering to identify opportunities for automation across survey programming, fieldwork, feasibility, and quality assurance. Translate operational challenges into product requirements and ensure new tools deliver measurable improvements in productivity, quality, and scalability.
• Expand research capabilities: Collaborate with Research, Product, and go-to-market leadership to identify new markets, audiences, methodologies, and capabilities. Assess operational readiness, develop repeatable delivery models, and support international expansion and new sample partnerships.
• Manage vendors and operational economics: Own the Research Operations budget, sample partner network, commercial terms, and resource allocation. Use forecasting and performance data to guide staffing, vendor, and automation investments while improving gross margins and maintaining service quality.
• Strengthen cross-functional execution: Build effective processes across teams, ensuring operational improvements support customer retention, expansion, new business opportunities, and sustainable revenue growth.
• Foster continuous improvement: Promote accountability, collaboration, initiative, and a growth mindset while adapting workflows and organizational practices as tools and business needs evolve.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate combines deep market research expertise with proven operational leadership, strong people management, and a track record of building scalable, technology-enabled processes. Key qualifications include:

• Relevant experience: At least 7 years of experience in the insights and market research industry, ideally within a market research technology company or agency, with direct responsibility for leading research operations.
• Sampling and research expertise: Demonstrated success building and scaling complex sampling operations across multiple methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative research and quick-turn studies.
• Survey programming knowledge: Deep hands-on experience with survey programming platforms such as Qualtrics, Decipher, or comparable tools.
• Automation and productization: A strong track record of identifying opportunities to automate, standardize, and productize operational workflows, creating efficiencies and capabilities that did not previously exist.
• Cross-functional leadership: Experience leading initiatives from concept through implementation, working across functions such as Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Product. Candidates should have a history of taking ownership of new organizational capabilities rather than simply participating in existing processes.
• People and organizational management: Strong leadership skills across both direct teams and cross-functional groups, including organizational design, workforce planning, capacity management, staff forecasting, recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance management, conflict resolution, and team engagement.
• Process optimization: Ability to redesign and adapt workflows as operational tools, technology, and business requirements evolve.
• Strategic and analytical thinking: Ability to balance research speed, data quality, audience reach, feasibility, operational costs, and business impact when making decisions.
• Communication and collaboration: Excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to align technical and nontechnical teams around shared objectives.
• Location and travel: Based in the United States, with New York City preferred. Candidates based elsewhere should be prepared to travel to New York City approximately once per month.

Benefits:

• Salary: $160,000–$200,000 per year, with final compensation determined by experience, qualifications, and level.
• Equity: Stock options.
• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, and additional coverage.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with a company match.
• Time off: Flexible time-off policy.
• Working environment: Hybrid working arrangement.
• Equipment and onboarding: Company laptop and a one-time technology stipend for onboarding.
• Office perks: Catered lunch and additional workplace benefits.