People Research Scientist

About the Role

Wealthfront is seeking a People Research Scientist to join our Organizational Performance group. This role will focus on studying employee performance, identifying success enablers, and understanding environments and practices conducive to development. You will collaborate closely with People Operations leadership and function leaders across the company. The role involves studying the career progression of managers and senior individual contributors to understand growth factors, with a focus on the unique needs of each group.

Key Responsibilities

• Run qualitative and small-N quantitative research on performance, career progression, manager effectiveness, and retention.
• Utilize methods such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, and people data.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to transform findings into actionable programs.
• Design and launch new programs in partnership with function leaders, measure their results, and iterate for improvement.
• Partner with People Operations leadership on organizational design, leveling, and career pathways.
• Set clear expectations for success at each level for individual contributors and managers.
• Build the first-time manager program and the early career pipeline.
• Help launch a mentorship program to accelerate employee development.
• Strengthen the assessment process to improve talent attraction, development, and retention.
• Analyze data behind talent decisions and present findings with clear recommendations to senior leadership.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Expertise in the research of individual and team performance.
• Depth in research methods, including interview and survey design, qualitative data analysis (coding), and statistical analysis.
• Working proficiency in R or Python.
• Familiarity with SQL is a plus, or a strong willingness to learn it.
• Clear writing across research briefs, program plans, and company communications.
• Discretion with sensitive employee data.

Qualifications

• A PhD in industrial-organizational psychology, organizational behavior, sociology, quantitative psychology, behavioral economics, or a related field.
• Candidates graduating now or with a couple of years of industry experience are welcome.
• Evidence of putting theory into practice: published research or a dissertation with practical business implications, a program designed and implemented, or an analysis that changed organizational operations.
• A commitment to evidence-based practice.
• A preference for building the program yourself.
• Readiness to support People Ops leadership in advising senior leaders.
• An affinity for personal finance and investing, and the appetite to become an expert in the industry.