Lead Researcher, Cultural & Consumer Insights

Hinge; New York (NY); On-site; USD 207,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Matching

Learning stipend

Parental leave

Fertility support

Date stipend

ERGs

Job summary

Hinge is seeking a Lead Researcher for the Cultural & Consumer Insights team to drive quantitative research and storytelling about how daters engage with dating culture. This role partners with Communications and Product Marketing to translate strategic questions into rigorous survey design and analytics.

You will shape global consumer reports, test feature sentiment, and influence product strategy while collaborating across US, Europe, LATAM markets and beyond.

Qualifications

• PhD in behavioral science with formal training in research methods and quantitative analysis.
• 5+ years of post-PhD applied consumer research with surveys.
• Experience designing research for external audiences (press, reports, thought leadership).
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights and storytelling.
• Collaborative, ambiguity-tolerant, cross-cultural experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Survey strategy & design bringing behavioral science and cultural expertise.
• Design and field rigorous surveys with engaging instruments.
• Ongoing insight synthesis and stakeholder collaboration.
• Lead initiatives like Global DATE Reports and market data stories.
• Partner closely with Communications and Product Marketing to embed insights.
• Innovate in quantitative storytelling and experimental formats.
• Manage external research vendors with clear briefs.

Skills

Behavioral science

Quantitative methods

Survey design

Data storytelling

Collaboration

Cross-cultural research

Mixed-methods

Education

PhD in behavioral science

Job description

Lead Researcher, Cultural & Consumer Insights

Hinge is the dating app designed to be deleted

In today's digital world, finding genuine relationships is tougher than ever. At Hinge, we’re on a mission to inspire intimate connection to create a less lonely world. We’re obsessed with understanding our users’ behaviors to help them find love, and our success is defined by one simple metric- setting up great dates. With tens of millions of users across the globe, we’ve become the most trusted way to find a relationship, for all.

About the Role

Hinge is hiring a Lead Researcher to join our Cultural & Consumer Insights team. This role is the lead quantitative research partner to our Global Communications team, with a secondary focus supporting Product Marketing. This role requires a PhD in a behavioral science field (e.g., psychology, sociology, relationship science, behavioral economics, communications) along with strong quantitative research chops: you know how to design a survey that's methodologically sound enough to stand behind publicly (in press, in reports, in front of leadership), and thoughtful enough to be a genuinely good experience for the daters taking it. You have a proven ability to translate data into insights and stories that provoke new thinking and drive action, and you're energized by the idea of helping daters see their approach to dating in a new light. You'll partner closely with Communications and Product Marketing, translating big, sometimes ambiguous strategic questions("What is a conversation-worthy behavior amongst GenZ daters") into sharp, actionable survey design and quantitative analysis. One week you'll be uncovering and socializing insights that shape our global consumer reports; the next you'll be partnering with Product Marketing to test feature sentiment or messaging with users. While this role primarily supports Marketing, Communications, and Product Marketing, the insights you generate will often extend well beyond the team, feeding into product initiatives, and will ultimately shape experiences for daters across the globe. This role calls for someone who is highly collaborative, comfortable operating in ambiguity, and energized by moving fluidly between high-level strategic thinking and the technical details of quantitative survey design, analysis, and storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Survey Strategy & Design: Bring behavioral science and cultural expertise, especially on how Gen Z relates to dating, identity, and connection, into early brainstorms with Comms and Product Marketing, helping shape raw ideas and themes into sharp, well-defined research questions and exploration areas.
• Quantitative Craft: Design and field rigorous, creative surveys that translate those questions into precise instruments, ones that are also a genuinely good experience for daters.
• Ongoing Insight Synthesis: Run analysis as learnings emerge (not just at the end), keeping collaborators informed and engaged along the way, bringing the team on the ride with the data, even though final story and report ownership sits elsewhere.
• Signature Initiatives: Power efforts like the Global DATE Reports (GenZ + LGBTQIA), localized data stories in markets outside the US, and product marketing launches (value proposition testing, feature sentiment).
• Strategic Partnership: Act as a close, trusted partner to Communications and Product Marketing, embedding insights work directly into their strategy and planning, and connecting opportunities across Marketing and Product.
• Innovation in Quant Storytelling: Stay curious about what's next, experimenting with new survey formats, question design, and analysis approaches to push Hinge's quantitative storytelling forward.
• Vendor Management: Direct external research and strategy agencies, providing clear briefs and strategic direction aligned to CCI's goals.

Within Three Months We Expect You To:

• Develop a strong understanding of storytelling at Hinge and build processes to support it by collaborating with marketing partners on a data-driven, consumer-facing story.
• Build strong, trusted, collaborative relationships with key partners across Communications and Product Marketing, including marketing managers in US + European + LATAM markets.
• Develop a research roadmap around key marketing moments in close collaboration with marketing partners.

What We're Looking For

PhD in a behavioral science field (relationship science, psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, communications, or related discipline), with formal training in research methods and quantitative analysis.

Passion and curiosity about dating culture and our mission of inspiring intimate connections to create a less lonely world.

5+ years of post-PhD applied consumer research experience, with deep expertise in quantitative survey design, able to craft surveys that are methodologically sound and genuinely engaging for respondents.

Experience designing research for external audiences, including press coverage, branded reports, and thought leadership.

You’re an expert at defining the right questions: you can synthesize diverse perspectives and cultural observations into sharply defined research questions and areas of exploration.

Expert data storyteller with a proven ability to find the story in the data and make insights accessible and compelling.

Extremely collaborative, low-ego partner who thrives working shoulder-to-shoulder with Marketing and Product Marketing teams, who is comfortable operating with ambiguity and shifting priorities.

Mixed-methods research expertise, with strong quantitative survey experience as a core strength, complemented by qualitative experience is a plus (in-depth interviews, ethnographic observation).

Champions team culture in authentic, courageous, and empathic ways.

Cross-cultural or cross-market research experience is a plus: you've run studies beyond the US and know how to identify and contrast cultural nuances.

Salary Range

$207,000.00 - $254,000.00 per year salary

Factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations may influence base pay offered. This salary range is reflective of a position based in New York City. This salary will be subject to a geographic adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

401(k) Matching

We match 100% of the first 10% of pre-tax 401(k) contributions you make, up to a maximum of $10,000 per year.

Professional Growth

Get a $3,000 annual Learning & Development stipend once you’ve been with us for three months. You also get free access to Udemy, an online learning and teaching marketplace with over 6,000 courses, starting your first day.

Parental Leave & Planning

When you become a new parent, you’re eligible for 100% paid parental leave (20 paid weeks for both birth and non-birth parents).

Fertility Support

You and your spouse/domestic partner will get easy access to fertility care through Carrot, which offers convenient access to a range of fertility care options. We offer up to $15,000 to assist with covering fertility expenses, including basic treatments and fertility preservation.

Date Stipend

Hinge employees receive a $100 monthly stipend for epic dates - romantic or otherwise. HingeX is also free for employees and their loved ones.

ERGs

We have eight Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) - Asian, Unapologetic, Disability, LGBTQIA+, Raices, Women/Nonbinary, Parents, and Remote that hold regular meetings, host events, and provide dedicated support to the organization & its community.