Research Manager

Outset invented a better way to do research: AI-powered user interviews.

Global brands like Hubspot, Microsoft, Uber and Nestle use Outset to achieve deeper, qualitative insights about their users at unprecedented speed and scale.

The research industry is massive (>$140B and growing) and ripe for disruption. Incumbents are outdated, slow, and burdened by high-cost services. That's our opportunity.

Outset is backed by top Silicon Valley investors and raised a $30M Series B in December 2025—less than six months after our Series A—led by Radical Ventures with participation from M12 (Microsoft’s venture arm), 8VC, Y Combinator, and Adverb Ventures.

The raise follows a breakout year, with our business growing 8x as enterprise customers across industries adopt our category, AI‑moderated research, as the new standard for understanding people.

We’re a tight-knit team of 30 based in San Francisco’s Financial District, serving some of the world’s largest enterprises

We are looking for a Research Manager to join the Customer Experience team at Outset! In this role, you will act as a trusted advisor to our customers, able to provide both product and research expertise. You’ll guide customers from research question to insight, helping them turn complex feedback into clear, actionable direction.

Responsibilities

• Own customer relationships end-to-end, acting as a true research partner (not just a point of contact)

• Independently scope, design, and run research projects—from concept testing and usability to market exploration—using our AI platform

• Turn qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights customers can actually use

• Lead customer meetings, onboardings, and training sessions (pre- and post-sales) with confidence

• Create research and product-focused content, documentation, and enablement materials

• Work closely with Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Engineering to turn feedback into product and business impact
  Move fast, experiment often, and push projects over the finish line with a strong sense of ownership

Qualifications

• 5+ years in research, insights, or strategy roles, with strong qualitative research experience

• Comfortable owning projects and client relationships independently in a fast-moving environment

• Strong at synthesizing messy data into sharp stories, decks, and dashboards

• Fluent in both numbers and narratives—and know when to use each

• Clear, confident communicator with execs and day-to-day users alike

• Curious, scrappy, and biased toward action—you figure things out and get them done

Benefits

• Daily collaboration with founders, shaping the core product vision.

• Exposure to and collaboration with design and research leaders at top global brands.

• Competitive cash and equity compensation. Actual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, depth of experience, and certifications.

Outset is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, free from discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.