Rapid User Researcher

Role overview

Sail Lore (Notion) is seeking a Rapid/Rolling User Researcher (Rolling UXR) to deliver fast, high-signal insights that improve Notion’s product experiences across Product, Design, and Engineering (EPD), including AI-powered workflows such as custom agents and chat.

This is a tactical, high-velocity role focused on running many small, quick-turn studies and translating feedback into concrete product changes.

What you’ll do

• End-to-end tactical research: Scope, design, and execute quick-turn studies across the product lifecycle.
• Rolling usability testing: Plan and moderate rapid usability tests on prototypes and in-product flows; identify friction, comprehension gaps, and failure points, then recommend and prototype fixes.
• Concept testing: Evaluate early ideas (e.g., storyboards, low/high-fidelity prototypes, new information architecture) to understand desirability, comprehension, and expected workflows before major build investment.
• Own the research pipeline: Manage intake, prioritization, study cadence, participant recruitment, and standardize output formats.
• Communicate recommendations: Provide crisp, actionable readouts (e.g., async write-ups, clips, or working sessions) including severity, confidence, and next steps.
• Drive impact: Connect findings to outcomes (why it matters, what to change, what to watch) and partner with teams to ensure improvements land.

Skills you’ll need

• User research craft: Independently run usability and/or concept tests end-to-end (scoping → protocol → moderation → synthesis → readout) with tight scope and sufficient rigor.
• AI fluency: Translate AI/product concepts (e.g., trust, usefulness, tone, safety, clarity) into observable behaviors and research questions.
• Pragmatism + speed: Prioritize effectively in fast-moving environments, work through ambiguity, and deliver quality quickly with transparent limitations.
• Systems thinking: Quickly understand complex product ecosystems and user journeys.

Location / work model

• Can be based in San Francisco or New York City.
• Work from the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (Anchor Days).