Research & Insights Lead

Location:

Seattle. Working in office. Full-time.

Aarden is a land intelligence platform that helps landowners, investors, and developers figure out what a piece of land can actually be used for, and how to market it. We turn messy parcel, infrastructure, market, community, and ecological data into clear, bankable answers for land-dependent assets. Our goal is to become the default decision layer for land: helping physical projects start in places where they can be built and supported for decades.

Aarden aims to be a trusted industry leader on optimized, responsible, and data-driven land development. To support this vision, you will own Aarden's publishable research function, combining our cutting-edge data with impactful storytelling. You'll mine our proprietary data for findings the industry doesn't have anywhere else, pressure-test them methodologically, and work with executives and the marketing team to publish them in whatever form reaches the right audience (typically Linked In posts, white papers, and media).

This is primarily a research and data analysis role. The bar for every piece is simply: would this information help Aarden clients perform their job better or make their lives easier?

• Own Aarden's research agenda: identify the questions our data can uniquely answer, and build a pipeline of validated findings around them.
• Identify compelling research commentary in response to current events, sometimes on short timelines.
• Run original analyses using our parcel data and proprietary ML and AI tools: rural land pricing and transaction dynamics, where solar and data center development pressure is reshaping land uses, the gap between current-use value and optionality, etc. Take analyses from hypotheses through validated findings and build or suggest new tools where needed.
• Build repeatable data narratives: recurring reports the industry comes to expect from Aarden.
• Partner with our data team to sanity-check methodology.

• 4-8 years in real assets research, market analysis, or data journalism, ideally with exposure to land, data centers, or energy development.
• Proficient in the data storytelling tech stack (Python, SQL, etc.), with demonstrated ability to go from raw dataset to published insight independently
• Proven methodological judgment, and an unwavering commitment to not publishing research that won't survive scrutiny.
• Comfort owning a function solo: setting your own research agenda, identifying interesting and valuable findings, and establishing an industry-leading quality bar.

• Experience at a research shop (LBNL, NREL, Wood Mackenzie, BNEF, Grid Status-style analytics) or data-first startup.
• Ability to build data visualizations and/or design: i.e. proven ability to communicate visually.
• Experience writing and publishing your work.

$100,000 - $150,000 base salary, depending on experience. Equity commensurate with stage and role. Benefits including health coverage.

Title is flexible and may be adjusted based on candidate profile.

Seattle-based teammates are a strong preference. Remote candidates will be asked to relocate to Seattle for 12 months minimum. Remote work may be considered on a case by case basis following this period.