Research Operations Lead, Mercury

$170.4-236.7k

Salary applicable for US candidates, dependent on location. For candidates based in any location in Canada: $179,000 - $223,700 CAD + Stock options/RSUs

Senior and Expert level

New York

San Francisco Bay Area

Remote from Canada, US

Banking services for startups and small businesses

Be an early applicant

Banking services for startups and small businesses

1001+ employees

FintechB2BBankingFinancial Services

Be an early applicant

$170.4-236.7k

Salary applicable for US candidates, dependent on location. For candidates based in any location in Canada: $179,000 - $223,700 CAD + Stock options/RSUs

Senior and Expert level

New York

San Francisco Bay Area

Remote from Canada, US

1001+ employees

FintechB2BBankingFinancial Services

Company mission

To make scaling tech companies simpler with a personalized banking stack for startups, and power the next generation of companies that will shape the American industry.

Job

Company

Role

Who you are

Have 8+ years of hands-on research operations experience and a track record of building or scaling a program with measurable impact
Have 1-2 years of people management experience
Be a thought leader in the space
Have qualitative research experience and quantitative fluency
Thrive in ambiguity where the discipline isn't fully figured out
Be an excellent coach to non-researchers, building their judgment and confidence
Use AI in your daily work and stay curious about what's genuinely useful versus merely new
Communicate clearly with practitioners and senior stakeholders

What the job involves

At Mercury, research is a democratized practice. Designers and PMs talk directly to customers, and Research Operations builds and runs the system that makes that fast, high quality, and ethical
We're looking for a Research Operations Lead to build and run that program as Mercury scales. You've done this before and have a clear point of view on how it should work
This is a hands-on leadership role: you’ll set the strategy and priorities for research enablement, develop the team, and personally lead work where senior judgment matters most
Own the strategy, roadmap, and operating model for research at Mercury, enabling Product, Design, and Marketing to run research with autonomy
Apply senior research judgment to complex or high-stakes work, using recurring gaps to strengthen the standards and guidance that raise research quality across Mercury
Partner closely with design managers, designers, and PMs so customer evidence informs decisions from early discovery through post-launch usability and funnel analysis
Own our research tool stack (including Dovetail, Maze, and Rally), along with vendor relationships, budget, and build-versus-buy decisions
Own and improve Mercury’s AI-enabled workflows for research planning, customer conversations, and synthesis, maintaining high standards for evidence, privacy, and human judgment
Pilot new ways of getting close to customers, such as rolling research programs and customer events like research dinners
Make customer learning visible across Mercury, surfacing patterns that deepen teams’ understanding of the people they serve
Manage and coach one direct report, setting priorities and supporting their growth while staying hands on in the work

Our take

Frustrated by the archaic, fee-laden banking services offered to entrepreneurs, the founders of Mercury set out to create a better solution. They envisioned a platform that was dynamic, tech-driven, and free from unnecessary fees.

Mercury delivers on this vision by automating business payment processes, offering FDIC-insured accounts, and providing full API access, empowering entrepreneurs with greater control and efficiency. This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional startup banking, which often burdens young businesses with high fees and limited functionality.

By prioritizing user experience and offering a free service tier, Mercury has attracted over 200,000 businesses and, off the back of a $300 million Series C round, achieved a $5.2B valuation as of 2026. As a rising unicorn in the stagnant world of startup banking, Mercury is poised for continued growth, constantly adding new features and expanding its team to further disrupt the industry.

Kirsty

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Insights

Top investors

50% employee growth in 12 months

Glassdoor (4.4)

Trustpilot (3.9)

Company

Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)

May 2026

$200m

SERIES D

Mar 2025

$300m

SERIES C

Total funding: $650.9m

Company benefits

Health, dental, & vision
12+ weeks of paid parental leave
$600 USD custom WFH equipment setup
Unlimited vacation policy (with a mandatory minimum)
Annual $1K learning & development budget
Paid 6-week sabbatical after the 5-year mark
Weekly $100 food budget
Monthly $100 wellness budget
Monthly $50 cellphone reimbursement
Pet-friendly offices with free tea and beverages, plus lunch and snacks
Unlimited vacation policy (with a mandatory minimum)
Retirement matching up to 4% of base salary (401K/RRSP)
Inclusive fertility, hormonal health, and family-forming benefits through Carrot Fertility

Company HQ

SoMa, San Francisco, CA

Leadership

Jason Zhang

(Co-Founder & COO)

Jason graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology before spending over 4 years at Heyzap in Business Development.

Immad Akhund

(Co-Founder & CEO)

Immad graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Masters in Computer Science. He then worked as a Software Developer at Aquila and Bloomberg. He also founded Clickpass and Heyzap, and was a Part-time Partner at Y Combinator.

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