Lead User Researcher – Product Insights

Drive evidence-based decision-making through quantitative research that uncovers deep insights into user behavior, needs, and outcomes. This role is key to shaping Upwork's customer experiences and strategic direction by embedding measurable, actionable data across our product and business landscape. You’ll partner across Product, Data Science, and Design to ensure our decisions are rooted in statistically sound, customer-centric insights. You will design and lead robust quantitative studies to uncover key insights that directly influence product direction and business strategy. Integrate quantitative and qualitative data into compelling narratives to guide cross-functional decision-making and shape strategic outcomes. Build and scale research frameworks such as user satisfaction metrics, trust indicators, and skill validation models, ensuring reusability and cross-team alignment. Collaborate closely with Product, Design, and Data Science to refine hypotheses, align on KPIs, and translate research into measurable outcomes. Champion research rigor and ethics by ensuring reproducibility, data quality, and responsible handling of user data. Provide mentorship on quantitative methods to raise the overall analytical bar of the Research & Insights team.