At Fonoa, we are transforming how digital-first companies stay tax compliant. We provide simple and modular API solutions that easily integrate into any existing workflow. Through our technology-first approach, we reduce manual processes, increase compliance and reduce the cost of operations when transacting and scaling internationally.

We are solving one of the largest yet unsolved problems in global e-commerce. Our tax automation software enables companies such as Uber, Zoom & Booking.com to expand their international offerings more quickly and remain tax-compliant.

The Role

We're looking for our first Senior User Researcher to build the research function at Fonoa from the ground up. You'll establish the connection between our customers and our teams, helping product and business make better decisions with confidence.

You'll own the entire research practice, from building a scalable customer research program to uncovering the insights that shape our AI-native Tax Operating System. You'll turn research into compelling stories that influence strategy, validate product direction, and demonstrate measurable impact on customer experience and business outcomes.

This is a hands-on Senior IC role reporting to the Head of Design. You'll work alongside a high-caliber team of designers, product managers, engineers, and tax managers, with the opportunity to build a lasting research culture and define how customer insights shape everything we build.

What you'll do

• Build Fonoa's research function. Establish the processes, tools, and culture that make customer research a trusted part of how we build products.

• Become the voice of the customer. Build and maintain a scalable customer research panel that enables fast, continuous access to customer insights.

• Guide product direction. Partner with Product, Design, Engineering, and business teams to validate opportunities, reduce uncertainty, and increase confidence in product decisions.

• Run research end to end. Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research across the product lifecycle, from early discovery to post-launch validation.

• Turn insights into action. Translate research into clear recommendations that shape product strategy, customer experience, and business priorities.

• Tell compelling stories. Communicate not only what you learned, but why the research happened, what decisions it influenced, and the measurable impact it created.

What we're looking for

• Strategic product researcher. You know how to influence product strategy, not just answer research questions.

• Research operations experience. You've built or significantly improved participant recruitment, research repositories, and repeatable research practices.

• Excellent storyteller. You connect research to decisions, customer outcomes, and business impact through clear, compelling narratives.

• Strong product intuition. You understand how products are built and know which questions matter most at each stage of the product lifecycle.

• Evidence-driven mindset. You're comfortable helping teams make decisions with imperfect information and understand that research is about reducing uncertainty, not eliminating it.

• Collaborative partner. You build trusted relationships across Product, Design, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success to ensure customer insights reach the right people.

• Impact-oriented portfolio. Your work demonstrates how research influenced product direction, improved customer experience, or delivered measurable business results.

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