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The Trade Desk

Principal Design Researcher

The Trade Desk · San Francisco

Posted 15 days ago

or apply directly on The Trade Desk's site. We never take the application ourselves.

Is this posting real?

This role has been open
15 days
The Trade Desk's roles stay open a median of 45 days
Reposted
No
Salary listed
No
5% of The Trade Desk's roles list one
Ghost-job risk at The Trade Desk
high
97 stale, 3 reposted of 159 open
Hiring momentum
290 roles opened in the last 90 days
↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
Last confirmed on the employer's board
2026-09-17

Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from The Trade Desk's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for The Trade Desk.

About this role

The Principal Design Researcher at The Trade Desk will lead customer research to shape the product vision, focusing on the Kokai customer journey and use cases, including AI. This role involves translating complex customer needs into actionable insights, guiding product direction, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The researcher will also mentor others in the organization and represent the company at industry events, ensuring that product decisions are grounded in genuine customer understanding.

Our read on this posting3.8out of 5
benefits
5/5
freshness
4/5
career value
5/5
role clarity
5/5
pay transparency
0/5

Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of The Trade Desk as an employer.

What you need

  • Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Design, or a related field (Master's or PhD preferred)
  • 10+ years of experience in user research or design research
  • Proven track record leading end-to-end research that shaped next-generation product direction
  • Demonstrated experience with customer journey mapping and defining core use cases and customer stories
  • Strong command of qualitative and quantitative research methods
  • Strong methodological instincts with experience designing and running mixed-methods research programs

Nice to have

  • Some experience or working knowledge of research methods for AI-powered experiences
  • Experience in adtech, martech, or enterprise SaaS with complex, data-dense interfaces
  • Published thought leadership, talks, or case studies on customer research or product direction
  • Portfolio demonstrating research-driven product vision and measurable impact on product direction

What you get

  • Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents
  • Retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match
  • Short and long-term disability coverage
  • Basic life insurance
  • Well-being benefits
  • Reimbursement for certain tuition expenses

Worth weighing

  • No specific mention of remote work options
  • The role emphasizes hands-on research leadership, which may require significant in-person collaboration
  • The salary range is provided, but actual compensation may vary based on experience and other factors

Summarised from The Trade Desk's posting. Read the full original.

Listed by The Trade Desk on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-17. PitchMeAI is not the employer.

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