Research Lead
Fi
Administration
New York, NY, USA
USD 100k-160k / year
Posted on May 14, 2026
Welcome to Fi.
We’re a passionate team from Square, Google, TikTok, Peloton, Uber, and more working to transform the human-pet relationship. Our mission? Develop cutting-edge technology to revolutionize what it means to be a pet parent. The pet industry remains firmly stuck in the past and we are here to change that. Fi is leveraging our team's talent and expertise to improve the lives of millions of pets in the U.S. Real-time location tracking, activity, sleep and behavior monitoring – and that's just the beginning.
The most exciting aspect of our work? Bridging the communication gap between pets and humans. Imagine a world where everyone knows how their pet feels in real time and how to keep their best friend in good shape. That's the future we're building at Fi.
If you're someone who thrives in innovative, collaborative work environments and feels strongly about helping pets live longer, better lives, Fi could be the perfect fit. Join us in our pursuit of the “impossible,” or as we call it here “let me find a way,” to redefine the future of pet ownership together.
Fi is looking for a Research Lead!
Fi is hiring a Research Lead to own our research function and directly shape product strategy. You'll work closely with our Founder and VP of Product to ensure every major decision is grounded in deep customer insight. This isn't a support role. It's a seat at the table.
Fi is hiring a Research Lead to own our research function and directly shape product strategy. You'll work closely with our Founder and VP of Product to ensure every major decision is grounded in deep customer insight. This isn't a support role. It's a seat at the table.
What You'll Do:
- Research function: build the practice from the ground up including methodology, cadence, panel, and tooling; define what good research looks like at Fi and raise the bar over time
- Customer research: lead interviews, surveys, diary studies, concept tests, and in-context observation; own the full cycle from scoping and recruiting through fielding, analysis, and the narrative that comes out the other side
- Cross-functional partnership: test new features, refine UX, and pressure-test product bets before they ship; your work shapes the roadmap, not just the launch retros
- Strategy translation: turn complex qual and quant signal into sharp, opinionated recommendations for leadership; you bring the synthesis and the point of view, not just the transcripts
- AI-native workflow: use Claude and a modern AI stack to run more research cycles, go deeper on each, surface insight a traditional research team would miss, and build the research stack the whole team can learn from
What You'll Bring:
- 3-5 years running product or UX research that changed how a business made decisions, working alongside PMs, designers, and execs and watching the work land in shipped product, not just shared drives
- Deep grounding in research best practices: when to use a diary study, when to run a survey, how to write a non-leading question, how to size for significance; background in HCI, Psychology, Data Science, or a related field is welcome but not required
- AI-native and actively using Claude, agentic research tooling, or an equivalent stack to move faster and get more out of every research cycle than a traditional workflow allows
- Sharp data judgment: able to distill complex findings into compelling decision-ready narratives, ask the right questions, and know when a dataset can or can't answer the question; interpreting what the data says matters more than the tool that pulls it
- A self-starter who brings the bar, finds the question worth asking without waiting for a brief, and answers it; genuine care for dogs and the people who love them is a real plus
Why You'll Love Us:
- Time to Recharge: Enjoy flexible PTO to take the breaks you need.
- Top-Notch Health Coverage: We’ve got your back (and teeth and eyes) with full medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Wellness Perks: Free access to One Medical, Kindbody, and Talkspace to keep you feeling your best.
- Dog-Friendly Office: Bring your pup to work — they’re part of the team, too.
- Give Back to the Pups: Make tails wag with a $500 annual donation to a dog charity of your choice through our BarkBack Program.
- Free Fi Membership: Your furry best friend(s) get all the benefits of a Fi collar, on us!
- Love for Friends + Family: Share the Fi magic with loved ones through our gifting program
Fi is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Fi makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and our needs at the time.
100000 - 160000 USD a year