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Salary: USD 100,000 - 130,000 / annual
Expa is a private design studio that builds and supports a portfolio of companies and projects across software, hardware, hospitality, and more. The company also runs an early-stage investment fund and cohort program for founders.
You will serve as a Senior Research Associate responsible for conducting open-ended research projects on behalf of leadership. Your primary responsibilities include:
- Running research projects using the internet and AI tools as primary resources, investigating markets, products, companies, funding activity, competitive landscapes, people, technologies, and regulation as needed.
- Transforming raw findings into clean, actionable outputs: competitive matrices, comparison tables, briefs, landscape maps, and one-pagers.
- Developing substantive points of view rather than simply aggregating links; flagging what matters, what's uncertain, and what warrants further investigation.
- Leveraging AI tools aggressively (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Hugging Face, etc.) to expand research scope and speed.
- Building lightweight tools, scrapers, or trackers when projects require them, ideally with basic coding ability.
- Managing multiple concurrent, unrelated requests and reprioritizing as priorities shift.
You will work directly with accomplished leadership and a high-performing team, gaining exposure to diverse projects and ideas across the Expa portfolio.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 2–5 years of professional experience and a bachelor's degree
- Demonstrated ability to execute tasks independently and produce senior-level output with quick turnaround and sharp judgment
- Strong analytical and reasoning skills; ability to approach unfamiliar questions systematically
- Deep familiarity with AI tools and platforms; comfort with basic scripting or prototyping without engineering support
- Comfort operating in ambiguous environments; ability to iterate on vague briefs and ask clarifying questions
- Self-directed work style balanced with coachability and openness to learning from senior mentors
- Startup mentality; preference for interesting problems and smart people over corporate hierarchy
- Excellent written communication; ability to distill research into concise, clear formats
