Principal Researcher, ES Research & Insights

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts. Job Category User Experience Job Details About Salesforce Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action.

Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

Salesforce is seeking a Principle Researcher, Workforce Intelligence with a specialized focus on Machine Learning . In this role, you will partner with executive leadership and C-suite stakeholders to set strategic research priorities, leveraging deep technical expertise to build ML models that provide accurate predictions and actionable insights for our most complex talent and organizational questions. You will drive end-to-end impact - from problem formulation through model development to enabling data-driven leadership decisions.

You will also champion a long-term, future-focused vision that integrates advanced AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) into the fabric of our workforce strategy. By balancing technical rigor with business agility, you will ensure our models drive tangible, positive organizational growth. Key Responsibilities Strategic ML Leadership: Drive the long-term vision for predictive and prescriptive workforce intelligence by authoring new ML strategies that support Employee Success partners and enhance employee experience initiatives.

Advanced Research Design: Define complex business challenges as rigorous research questions and develop novel methodological approaches when standard techniques are insufficient. Predictive & Causal Modeling: Lead the development of robust, well-calibrated machine learning models and causal identification strategies to generate forward-looking insights that help us understand the drivers of organizational success. Evidence-Based Impact: Lead impact attribution studies for workforce programs, utilizing advanced statistical methods to determine the effectiveness of talent initiatives and guide future investments.

Multimodal Data Intelligence: Lead the extraction of insights from unstructured enterprise data to provide a holistic, 360-degree understanding of organizational sentiment and the employee experience. Scalable Insight Tools: Drive the evolution of research into scalable, automated tools and workflows that provide leaders with real-time, data-driven guidance for strategic workforce planning. Tailored Workforce Insights: Utilize advanced modeling to identify how different talent initiatives impact various employee segments, ensuring workforce strategies are inclusive and optimized for a diverse global population.

Executive Stakeholder Management: Partner with and advise senior leadership (SVP+ and C-suite), providing strategic counsel and influencing organizational strategy at the highest levels. Technical Infrastructure: Oversee the development of robust data infrastructure and MLOps (e.g., Airflow, AWS/GCP) to ensure the secure and reliable deployment of models at scale. Innovation & Technical Evangelism: Remain at the forefront of emerging AI and LLM trends, ensuring they integrate seamlessly into a human-centric talent model that prioritizes the employee experience.

Preferred Qualifications Education: Master’s or PhD in a highly quantitative field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, I/O Psychology, Econometrics, or Statistics). Experience: 10+ years in data science or applied research, with a proven track record of leading large-scale AI/ML projects and delivering scientific insights to executive-level leadership. Technical Acumen: Expert-level proficiency in Python, R, and SQL.

Deep experience with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn) and advanced techniques including RAG-based solutions and LLMs. Engineering Mindset: Experience in architecting secure data enclaves and implementing MLOps to harden production data pipelines. Communication: Exceptional skills in translating complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences, supported by a history of peer-reviewed publications or high-impact technical briefings.

Strategic Influence: Experience working with executive stakeholders to influence high-level workforce planning and organizational strategy using data-driven insights. Autonomy: Proven ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, making strategic decisions in a fast-paced, complex environment. Unleash Your Potential When you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life.

Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best , and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best . Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.

Accommodations If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form . Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions.

Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options. Posting Statement Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly?

It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal.

Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between.

Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education. In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.

At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $164,000 - $261,500 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.