Research Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Research jobs in San Francisco concentrate in Mission Bay, South of Market, and the Financial District, where life sciences, biotech, and technology employers run active hiring programs year-round. Roles open regularly across clinical, market, and policy research with demand from OpenAI, University of California - San Francisco, and Pluralis Research. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Your opportunity
At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us challenge the status quo and transform the finance industry together. We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in the specified location(s).
What you have
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 6+ years of software engineering experience developing data-intensive applications, analytical platforms, or quantitative systems using Python and/or similar languages such as R, MATLAB, or Julia.
- Experience partnering with researchers, analysts, product owners, or business stakeholders to deliver data-driven technology solutions.
- Experience designing, developing, and supporting scalable data pipelines and data platforms for structured and unstructured datasets.
- Proficiency designing and implementing data models for efficient storage, integration, retrieval, and analysis.
- Experience implementing data quality controls, monitoring, governance, lineage, and observability practices.
- Experience developing software capabilities that support quantitative research, analytics, or other data-intensive workloads. Experience
- ing modern software engineering and CI/CD practices, including source control, automated testing, containerization, and deployment automation.
- Experience building automated testing frameworks for integration, regression, and data validation testing.
- Experience developing data visualizations, dashboards, and analytical tools that enable actionable insights.
- Experience collaborating within Agile and DevOps environments across engineering, product, architecture, and governance teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Quantitative Finance, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience with cloud-native data platforms and architectures; Snowflake and/or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) experience preferred.
- Experience building distributed data processing, streaming, or large-scale analytics solutions.
- Experience developing reusable platforms, frameworks, libraries, or shared services.
- Experience supporting quantitative investment research, model development, portfolio analytics, backtesting, or investment management workflows.
- Experience analyzing large, complex datasets to identify meaningful insights and opportunities.
- Experience developing self-service analytics, visualization, and researcher productivity tools.
- Experience implementing model lifecycle management, monitoring, observability, and risk-control frameworks. Experience
- ing machine learning, generative AI, or advanced analytics capabilities to business problems.
- Ability to influence technology strategy, architecture decisions, engineering standards, and platform direction.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with technical and non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated commitment to innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
In addition to the salary range, this role is eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities.
What’s in it for you
At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.
We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:
- 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
- Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
- Paid parental leave and family building benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
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Eligible Schwabbies receive
Medical, dental and vision benefits
401(k) and employee stock purchase plans
Tuition reimbursement to keep developing your career
Paid parental leave and adoption/family building benefits
Sabbatical leave available after five years of employment
See All 578+ Research Jobs in San Francisco
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Find Research JobsResearch Job Market in San Francisco
Who's Hiring
- OpenAI186

- University of California - San Francisco60

- Pluralis Research40P
- Merck20

- Decagon20

Top Industries Hiring
- Education13
- Science & Research7
- Government & Public Sector7
Research Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a research job in San Francisco?
Focus on San Francisco's densest hiring corridors: biotech and life sciences firms clustered in Mission Bay, technology and product research teams in SoMa, and policy and social research organizations in the Civic Center area. Candidates who can point to hands-on lab experience, published work, or demonstrated data analysis skills move to the front of the line. Networking through UCSF, UC Berkeley extension programs, and local industry meetups also gives San Francisco applicants a concrete edge.
Which companies hire researchs in San Francisco?
San Francisco research roles are posted by OpenAI, University of California - San Francisco, and Pluralis Research and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. The city's hiring base is wide, pulling from pharmaceutical and biotech firms in Mission Bay, enterprise technology companies in SoMa, and policy-focused nonprofits and research institutes downtown.
Are there remote research jobs in San Francisco?
Yes, though remote availability depends heavily on role type: analytical, market, and policy research positions are commonly remote, while lab-based or clinical roles require on-site presence. About 85% of research openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting the city's strong technology and knowledge-economy employer base. Desk-based quantitative and UX research roles are the most likely to offer flexible arrangements.
How can I get a research job in San Francisco with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Francisco is a research coordinator or research assistant role at UCSF, a Mission Bay biotech startup, or one of the city's health-focused nonprofits, where structured mentorship and on-the-job training are common. Lateral moves from data analyst or lab technician positions also open doors locally. A portfolio of independent projects, a relevant internship, or demonstrated familiarity with tools like R, Python, or clinical data systems helps entry-level candidates stand out in a competitive pool.
Which industries hire the most researchs in San Francisco?
San Francisco research roles concentrate in Education, Science & Research, and Government & Public Sector, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. The city's position as a global biotech hub anchored by UCSF and a dense cluster of early-stage and growth-stage life sciences companies, combined with its technology sector's appetite for UX and market research, keeps demand consistently high across those fields.
Related Jobs in California
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