User Researcher

About the company

Notion is an AI-powered collaborative workspace designed to bring knowledge, projects, meetings, and AI tools into one place. The platform helps teams work with greater speed, clarity, and less fragmentation. It is used by individuals, small teams, and large enterprises alike.

Employees are expected to operate as internal first users, helping shape the future of work through strong craft, durable product thinking, and a belief that meaningful work remains deeply human. The organization aims to define how people collaborate in the AI era, whether that means building systems of record, creating and managing AI agents, or automating repetitive work so customers can focus on higher-value tasks.

About the role

This position is for an experienced User Researcher who will generate insights that strengthen AI-driven product experiences. The work centers on how people discover, create, and interact with AI capabilities such as Notion Agent and Chat across a wide range of product use cases. The role calls for a blend of rigorous research practice, strategic judgment, and comfort working with AI technology and AI product development.

The role may be based in San Francisco or New York City. In-person collaboration is expected on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, which are the company’s anchor days for office-based teamwork.

What you will do

• Plan and run research across the full AI product lifecycle, including early discovery, concept evaluation, prototype and usability testing, and post-launch assessment, then turn findings into clear guidance for product decisions.
• Study how people and AI work together in real-world workflows, including how users set goals, hand off tasks, review results, and maintain context as the product takes on more initiative.
• Partner closely with Design, Product, Engineering, and Data Science to embed research and user insight into multiple stages of product development.
• Present findings in ways that fit different audiences, using creative formats such as videos, podcasts, and workshops when helpful.
• Link research insights to business outcomes, explain why findings matter, make them actionable, and stay involved long enough to help drive change after the research is shared.

What you should bring

• Strong fluency with AI products, including an understanding of how model behavior, uncertainty, and system limitations shape user experiences.
• Systems-level thinking with the ability to map complex journeys and spot breakdowns across inputs, model behavior, interface design, governance, and guardrails.
• A practical mindset suited to fast-moving 0 to 1 environments, with comfort working through ambiguity, taking initiative, and choosing when to move quickly versus dig deeper.
• Deep research expertise with the ability to select the right method for each question and work confidently with both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Comfort using behavioral and business data to sharpen research questions, interpret findings, and tie insights to measurable outcomes.
• At least 3 years of UX research experience in industry.

Nice to have

• Background researching AI-enabled products, especially agentic workflows or automation tools, as well as B2B products.
• Experience using AI research tools such as Outset, Listen Labs, or Dovetail.
• Experience presenting research to executive-level stakeholders.
• A master’s or PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Anthropology, Sociology, or a related discipline.
• Familiarity with influential computing thinkers such as Douglas Engelbart, Alan Kay, and Bret Victor, along with an appreciation for why their ideas matter.

Compensation and benefits

The company offers competitive cash compensation, equity, and benefits. For roles based in San Francisco or New York City, the estimated base pay range is USD 164,000 to 190,000 per year. Final pay depends on factors such as location, role scope and complexity, and the candidate’s experience and expertise.

Application and policy notes

Submitting an application means agreeing that the company and its affiliates may collect and process applicant information in line with its Global Recruiting Privacy Policy and NYLL 144.

AI at Notion

The company expects employees to be intellectually curious, willing to experiment, and open to using AI as a practical collaborator. For some positions, AI fluency is a formal requirement. The expectation is not to treat AI as a novelty, but to use it to think more effectively and make work easier for others to build on.

Equal opportunity and accommodations

The employer welcomes applicants from many backgrounds and encourages people to apply even if they do not meet every listed qualification. It is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on any legally protected basis. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records may be considered as permitted by law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the hiring process, and applicants who need support should let a recruiter know. The company also considers qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law, and provides accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in the application process.