User Researcher

Cursor
New York, US
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Best suited to mid-level user researchers with technical product experience who thrive in small, flat teams with spirited debate.

Best fit for

  • Researchers comfortable with both qualitative and quantitative methods in technical environments.
    — “Deep command of qualitative and quantitative research methods”
  • Individuals who can balance scrappy execution with strategic research rigor.
    — “adapting research methods to different levels of urgency, constraint, and rigor”
  • Collaborators excited to partner across product, design, engineering, and data teams.
    — “Excited to work closely with product, design, engineering, and data teams”

Things to consider

  • Expect to work in a small, flat organization with high autonomy.
    — “Our organization is very flat, and our team is small and talent dense”
  • Role involves translating research into direct product strategy and prioritization.
    — “Translate findings into clear, actionable insights that shape product direction, strategy, and prioritization”

How to stand out

  • Showcase examples of research that directly influenced product roadmaps.
    — “partner closely with product, design, engineering, and data to guide Cursor’s roadmap”
  • Highlight experience scaling research processes in growing teams.
    — “Contribute to the systems, processes, templates, and rituals that make research easier to run”
  • Demonstrate ability to synthesize diverse data sources into actionable insights.
    — “Combine qualitative research with analytics, surveys, experiments, and data science partnerships”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • high-impact research
  • accelerate product learning
  • connect insights to product decisions
  • scale research
Typical background
5-8+ years in user research

Skills & requirements

Required

User ResearchProduct IntuitionQualitative And Quantitative Research MethodsCommunication

Preferred

Cloud-based ToolsData Analysis

Stack & domain

LeadershipCommunicationProductDesignEngineering

About the role

Original posting from Cursor via Ashby

Our mission is to automate coding. The first step in our journey is to build the best tool for professional programmers, using a combination of inventive research, design, and engineering. Our organization is very flat, and our team is small and talent dense. We particularly like people who are truth-seeking, passionate, and creative. We enjoy spirited debate, crazy ideas, and shipping code.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re looking for a User Researcher to join our growing research function. This person will help us better understand our users, uncover opportunities across the product, and partner closely with product, design, engineering, and data to guide Cursor’s roadmap.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Lead high-impact research: Design and run studies that help us understand what users want, need, and love across different segments, workflows, and levels of expertise. Use methods like interviews, usability testing, surveys, and lightweight experiments to uncover pain points, motivations, and opportunities.
  • Accelerate product learning: Help teams quickly test hypotheses, evaluate ideas, and gather feedback on features and experiences. Choose the right level of rigor for the question, from scrappy directional research to deeper strategic work.
  • Connect insights to product decisions: Combine qualitative research with analytics, surveys, experiments, and data science partnerships to build a holistic view of our users. Translate findings into clear, actionable insights that shape product direction, strategy, and prioritization.
  • Help scale research at Cursor: Contribute to the systems, processes, templates, and rituals that make research easier to run and more impactful across the company. Advocate for user needs and ensure they are represented in product decisions.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

  • Experience: 5–8+ years in user research in fast-moving, technical product environments.
  • Strong research craft: Deep command of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
  • Product intuition: Ability to connect user insights to product decisions, tradeoffs, and strategy.
  • Scrappy operator: Comfortable working in ambiguity, moving quickly, and adapting research methods to different levels of urgency, constraint, and rigor — finding creative ways to get useful signal quickly without over- or under-investing.
  • Clear communicator: Exceptional ability to synthesize research into concise, compelling, and actionable insights.
  • Collaborative partner: Excited to work closely with product, design, engineering, and data teams to shape what we build.

Source: Cursor careers (Ashby)

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