Senior Product/User Researcher
Join the Tilt team
At Tilt, we see a side of people that traditional lenders miss. Our mobile-first products and machine learning-powered credit models look beyond credit scores, using over 250 real-time financial signals to recognize real potential. With millions of customers worldwide, we're not just changing how people access financial products — we're creating a new credit system that backs the working, whatever they're working toward.
The Opportunity: Senior Product/User Researcher
We are hiring a Senior Product/User Researcher to establish and lead research practices that meaningfully inform product development. Research today is conducted inconsistently and without formal methodology, and this role will define the philosophy, standards, and operating model required to bring rigor, clarity, and insight into product decision-making.
This is a foundational hire reporting into product and design leadership, partnering closely with the Head of Design and the product design team. The role requires a highly autonomous researcher capable of building a research program from the ground up while operating as a hands-on practitioner.
This is a product research role, not a market or consumer marketing research position.
How You'll Make an Impact
Research program development
Establish research philosophy, standards, and best practices across the organization
Define frameworks, templates, and governance that improve rigor and mitigate bias in research execution
Educate product, design, and PM teams on research methodology, interpretation, and appropriate application
Build scalable research infrastructure including participant recruitment, insight synthesis, and knowledge management
Continuous rolling research program
Own and operate a continuous rolling research program enabling ongoing user feedback across product development
Partner with teams to intake research needs and translate them into structured, methodologically sound test plans
Recruit and facilitate participant sessions on an ongoing basis, adjusting cadence based on product priorities and research complexity
Synthesize findings into actionable insights that inform product direction and design decisions
Maintain a sustainable research rhythm that balances responsiveness with depth and methodological rigor
Mixed-methods research execution
Determine and apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies across discovery and evaluative research
Conduct interviews, usability testing, concept validation, surveys, diary studies, and experiments
Ensure research rigor, bias mitigation, and methodological clarity across studies
Strategic research initiatives
Define and lead longer-term research programs to deepen understanding of users, behaviors, and mental models
Manage external research agencies for larger scoped studies (1–2 per quarter or half-year) with leadership approval
Drive synthesis across studies to develop durable user insights and profiles that guide product strategy
Why You're a Great Fit
Senior-level experience in product/UX research within digital product organizations
Demonstrated ability to establish research practices in environments without mature research infrastructure
Strong mixed-methods expertise with clear judgment on methodology selection
Experience operating continuous or rolling research programs
Deep understanding of research rigor, bias mitigation, and insight synthesis
Ability to elevate organizational research literacy and coach non-researchers on best practices
Strong partnership with design and product leadership
Comfortable operating with high autonomy, ambiguity, and program ownership
Extra Plus If You Have:
Experience managing research vendors or agencies
Experience building research ops infrastructure or participant panels
Background working in design-led product organizations
Why this role matters
This role will directly shape how product decisions are made by establishing a reliable, insight-driven research practice where none currently exists. The researcher will play a critical role in improving product quality, reducing bias in decision-making, and enabling teams to learn from users continuously.
Don’t meet every qualification? We care about potential over your past. If you're bringing ambition and drive to what we're building, we want to hear from you.
What you'll get at Tilt
Virtual-first teamwork: The Tilt team is collaborating across 14 countries, 12 time zones, and counting. You’ll get started with a WFH office reimbursement.
Competitive pay: We're big on potential, and it's reflected in our competitive compensation packages and generous equity.
Complete support: Find flexible health plans at every premium level, and substantial subsidies that stand up to global standards.
Visibility is yours: You can count on direct exposure to our leadership team — we’re a team where good ideas travel quickly.
Paid global onsites: Magic happens IRL: we gather twice yearly to reconnect over shared meals or kayaking adventures. (We’ve visited Vail, San Diego, and Mexico City, to name a few.)
Impact is recognized: Growth opportunities follow your contributions, not rigid promotion timelines.
The Tilt Way
We're looking for people who chase excellence and impact. Those who stand behind their work, celebrating the wins and learning from the missteps equally. We foster an environment where every voice is valued and mutual respect is non-negotiable — brilliant jerks need not apply. We're in this together, working to expand access to fair credit and prove that people are incredible. When you join us, it's not just another day at the office, you're helping millions of hardworking people reach better financial futures.
You’re pushing ahead in your career? We can get behind that. Join us in building the credit system that people deserve.