Sr. Research Specialist

Highlight is is a fast-paced, high-growth company changing how brands test physical products along the product development lifecycle. We are focused in 2025 on bolstering our team of functional experts whose contributions will deepen relationships with core customers, defend the unique value we’re providing today, and propel future growth by embedding research expertise into our software.

Today, as part of the Customer Enablement & Research team, you will assist in the day-to-day execution of product tests, from survey design to analysis to report generation. The ideal candidate comes with an understanding of research best practices, high accuracy and attention to detail, clear and concise communication, and a proactive approach to finding and solving problems.

• Research design and survey writing: design surveys according to objectives and clean data needed for analysis; make suggestions for decisions and direction on survey design and statistical analysis
• Customer advisory: participate in customer meetings to understand objectives, present survey design, facilitate agreement on the final questionnaire, and present results
• Insight generation and deliverable creation: collaborate with internal teams to share findings, interpret results, and align on strategic recommendations for our customers; analyze results to generate meaningful insights, with ability to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data to effectively address internal / external client needs
• Survey Programming: program and deploy surveys using Alchemer, Typeform, or other survey vendors. Design complex survey logic and customizations to meet specific project and customer needs. 
• Custom solutions: manage complex recruiting efforts, ensuring steady progress, high-quality recruits, and effective solutions to any challenges encountered; work closely with internal teams to fit complex projects into Highlight’s software, by digging deep to understand the blockers at hand and leveraging creative solutions to resolve.
• Process Standardization: enforce standard operating procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency across all projects. Uncover opportunities to bring additional standardization into our process. 
• Advocacy for Feature Enhancements: partner with Enablement/Research to advocate for software feature enhancements to improve project operations that ultimately lead to higher data quality and improved on-time delivery of results to customers.
• Problem-Solving and Action Plans: identify root causes of project issues, develop alternative solutions, implement action plans, and communicate updates to project teams and vendors.

• Experience: Bachelors Degree preferred in statistics, business, medical or behavioral sciences - and/or relevant work experience, ideally a minimum of 3 years experience at a market research agency with data analysis and reporting of results
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Alchemer, Typeform, or similar survey tools; capable of programming complex surveys with custom logic and design; experience using tabulation software such as spss, tableau, mtab, etc; experience using Microsoft Excel & PPT for data manipulation and reporting
• Detail Orientation and Prioritization: Strong attention to detail, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Research Experience: Minimum 2 years developing questionnaires and conducting quantitative primary market research; experience / ability to synthesize qualitative data; knowledge of basic statistical methods
• Work Style: Comfortable working both autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision) with 100% employee premiums covered
• Generous paid parental leave
• Unlimited PTO
• Flexible, remote WFH culture
• Monthly WFH stipends
• Access to the iconic Hearst Tower & its facilities in NYC (should you choose to be in person)

This role is ideal for someone passionate about improving project efficiency, skilled in survey programming, and motivated by a blend of operational and technical tasks.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. At Highlight, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful. We are committed to building a team that comes from a wide range of backgrounds - including but not limited to - race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, disability, and veteran status. If you’re someone who can think rigorously and isn’t afraid to challenge assumptions, join us.

We've built a world-class team with decades of experience in the space. We’ve encountered the problems we’re trying to solve first hand and care deeply about making better products. We’ve been fortunate to raise a seed round from First Round Capital as well as experienced angels and insiders to help us further our mission. We’re also a passionate, capable, and empathetic team who live by our Humans First value. We have fun, we care about one another, and we’re all in on tacos.