Senior Research Manager - Product & AI

About the role

The Senior Research Manager will report to the Director of Ecosystem Research at Understood, a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. Understood raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of people who learn and think differently, and provides resources to help them navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community.

Responsibilities

• Produce high-quality, business-driven insights for many teams, with a focus on the product side of the business (marketing, partnerships, external research, and more)
• Partner with teams to clarify and sharpen research questions, ensuring findings address the real strategic need rather than the surface-level ask
• Own the "always-on" scraping and updating of product landscapes to ensure Understood remains ahead of market trends
• Design and maintain AI bots (e.g. Gemini GEMs) to create automated data pipelines that streamline secondary research data collection and analysis
• Serve as the research partner for Product, Product Marketing, and UXR teams, providing rapid-response analysis and weekly Slack updates on competitor moves
• Review deal memos for Difference Partners (DiffPar) and facilitate knowledge exchange between the portfolio and internal product teams
• Own the ad hoc scraping partner product landscapes as part of our external Universal Design revenue-driving partnership offering
• Independently carry out research projects from start to finish, delivering high-quality findings for specific product initiatives
• Proactively solve problems to deliver high-quality work, adapting easily to change and ensuring the research has meaningful results
• Create and manage processes for both our team and cross-functional needs

Requirements

• 5–7 years of experience performing rigorous field scans and secondary research to evaluate markets for product creation
• Expert experience building natural language bots and leveraging AI (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) to automate research workflows, especially desk research
• Ability to use low-code/no-code solutions to fuel AI-driven data scraping in major company-approved platforms like Claude and/or Perplexity
• Strong background in Product Research, ideally within EdTech or social impact
• Ability to synthesize findings into clear, actionable daily updates for cross-functional peers

Qualifications

• Committed to embodying and being a steward of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Skills

• Experience with web scraping tools or basic Python for data collection
• Familiarity with the Learning and Thinking Difference (LATD) market

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports wellness for our team members and their families. You can learn more about our benefits and offerings.

Pay

The base salary range for this role is a minimum of $125,000 - $140,000 maximum, depending on years of experience and qualifications.

Schedule

This is a hybrid role that requires a minimum of three (3) days a week in our NYC office, with a focus on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. We are a Mac-based environment, and team members are provided a Mac laptop for their work.

Must-haves

• Experience with web scraping tools or basic Python for data collection
• Experience with working with AI agent building platforms (e.g. Cursor or N8N)
• Familiarity with the Learning and Thinking Difference (LATD) market

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with web scraping tools or basic Python for data collection
• Experience with working with AI agent building platforms (e.g. Cursor or N8N)
• Familiarity with the Learning and Thinking Difference (LATD) market

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Understood encourages individuals of all learning styles and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including those whose life experiences may include the challenge of access due to a disability, to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to supporting this work.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Understood is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, alienage or citizenship status, marital or familial status, domestic partnership status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, change of sex or transgender status, genetic information, medical condition, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, physical or mental disability (where the applicant or employee is qualified to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation), any protected military or veteran status, or status as a victim of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault or offense, stalking, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law or that of persons with whom that individual associates, or any other legally protected characteristics.