Research Program Manager III

Overview

JOB TITLE: Research Program Manager III
LOCATION: Remote
DURATION: Through 12/31/2026 (potential extension)
PAY RANGE: $71 - $81/hr.

• 5+ years of Research Operations experience with end-to-end program management, including centralized research programs, governance, and participant recruitment
• Strong Stakeholder Management & Collaboration experience working with cross-functional teams, vendors, and senior leadership to drive alignment and execution
• Research apparition expertise with AI fluency (native skills), using AI tools and workflows to improve research operations, efficiency, and program delivery

Our client is a Fortune 500 multi-national technology company headquartered in Menlo Park, CA.

Research Program Manager will manage Research Operations for our MSL UXR org. Primary focuses will center around managing centralized research programs (eg. rapid research), budget forecasting and tracking, participant recruitment, and research governance.

The Global Research Operations Verticals team is the aggregation of all the different UXR pillar-embedded research operations teams across the company. In the role, you'll be leading 4+ pillars as they pursue identifying + targeting efficiencies on behalf of the UXR function. You'll have visibility into and the opportunity to partner with senior UXR leadership from each pillar.

As a Manager, Global Research Operations, you will implement operational systems, act as a connector, and problem-solve operational hurdles to enable researchers to do their most impactful work. In this role, you will define, establish, and maintain operational and team-wide programs across many of our UXR pillars, as well as create and manage processes to support the growing team. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, enabling the team's best work by leading strategic planning of programs, managing short and long-term project milestones, anticipating project issues and resolving them, connecting resources to research needs, and removing barriers to doing great work.

The Verticals Manager is an expert in problem-solving and multitasking, while building long-term relationships with the team and cross-functional partners. You will utilize a full range of organizational and interpersonal skills that help our talented teams operate at their highest and most effective level. This role requires both execution and strategic-focused program management experience and broad knowledge of the impact of research's impact on product design and development.

Communication skills, the ability to manage complex logistics, and a highly organized approach are mandatory.

• Define and manage strategic initiatives that improve team efficiency and impact, establishing operational systems and outcomes
• Proactively identify and partner with stakeholders on internal processes, templates, and guidelines to improve team optimization and documentation
• Partner with team leadership on establishing effective team communication, information distribution, and cross-team collaboration
• Partner with cross-functional teams such as Sourcing and Vendor Engagements to enable efficient MSL contracting. Req Intake Template
• Manage relationship with select group of preferred vendors, building the business-specific operations and processes needed to streamline intake
• Manage the operational and financial efficiency of the MSL budget by maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial datasets, files, and reports
• Perform data analysis and provide insights to inform and support business-driven decisions
• Prepare metric-driven status reports by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing relevant information
• Proactively manage expectations: define clear program roadmaps, provide frequent program updates, identify and communicate risks and adjustments, and ensure commitments are delivered
• Provide flexible approaches that meet team needs, including the ability to move fast and make progress or navigate blocks quickly
• Experience integrating AI tools and workflows into business operations or program management
• Demonstrated ability to drive responsible and ethical AI adoption in…