Senior Data Researcher

Build a Safer World.

TRM Labs provides AI-powered intelligence solutions that help public and private sector agencies investigate and disrupt crime. TRM's platforms enable investigators to trace illicit activity, build cases, and construct operating pictures of threat networks. Leading agencies and businesses worldwide rely on TRM to make the world safer and more secure.

TRM's Insights team publishes the original research that shapes how journalists, policymakers and investigators understand illicit finance and the crime behind it. As Senior Data Researcher, you will take a topic from question to published piece: gather and pressure-test the evidence, find the story and write it. Few roles anywhere combine intelligence across crime types with full ownership of the public narrative.

The impact you will have:

• Publish original investigative research on the threats that matter most: fraud and scams, sanctions evasion, ransomware and cybercrime, terrorist financing, drug and human trafficking, and the financial networks behind them. Your work holds up under scrutiny from top-tier press and policymakers.

• Use AI heavily in everything you do. TRM is an AI-native investigative company, so expect to use Claude, ChatGPT and agent-based tools to research, analyze data, stress-test methodology, draft and package each finding for every channel.

• Lead original research that answers the biggest open questions about crime and the financial networks that power it. Combine TRM's blockchain intelligence with non-crypto sources (sanctions lists, court filings, corporate records, open-source and threat intelligence) to find patterns no one else has connected, then turn them into evidence that holds up.

• Extend the research beyond the blog. Turn findings into training content for investigators and compliance teams, and pass emerging threat intelligence back to TRM's product and intelligence teams.

What we're looking for:

• 5 to 8 years combining research or data analysis with published writing, including at least one high-impact investigation you led from evidence-gathering to final piece.

• Strong analytical skills across varied sources (financial, open-source, court and regulatory records, structured datasets), using AI to speed up and check the work.

• A public portfolio of investigative or research-led work with measurable reach (major media pickup, citations, audience growth). Investigative journalists, financial crime and threat intelligence researchers, and research-focused writers who do their own analysis have all done well in roles like this.

• Deep AI fluency: you already rely heavily on AI across research, analysis, drafting and packaging, and you're comfortable running and quality-checking an agent-based production workflow. Experience in financial crime, sanctions, cybercrime, national security or crypto is a strong plus.

About the Team:

• Insights is the public voice of TRM's research. It connects TRM's intelligence on illicit finance and crime with the press, policymakers and the wider industry.

• The work is research-led, focused on the story, fast-moving and AI-native.

• You'll work closely with Marketing, Communications, TRM's intelligence and investigations teams, product teams, and TRM Academy.

• The team is small and opinionated, and it owns some of the most visible work TRM produces. Distributed, not distant.

Team Operating Rhythms:

• Weekly Insights research review to set priorities and look at work in progress.

• A weekly working session with Marketing to plan distribution and timing.

• Async by default for drafts and methodology review. Meetings are for editorial decisions and launch planning.

• The research and content workflow runs continuously, and you manage it day to day and week to week.

Learn about TRM Speed in this position:

• Measurable example #1: Within 30 days, you publish your first piece of original data-backed research on TRM's blog, with a Marketing push behind it.

• Measurable example #2: Within 60 days, you take a topic you picked through the full cycle (research, narrative, distribution) and show measurable gains in media coverage.

• Measurable example #3: Within 90 days, you run the research and content workflow end to end, and your research feeds weekly training sessions for TRM Academy instructors.

The following represents the expected range of compensation for this role:

• Individual pay is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. The compensation details listed in this posting reflect the US base salary only.

• The estimated base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $180,000

• Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan.

• Please note – we factor in the different costs for geographies outside the United States.

Work Week Travel: This role requires participation in in-person R&D work weeks, typically 1–2 times per quarter, at a TRM hub or other designated location. Work weeks may be scheduled with as little as 14 days’ notice, and some roles may require additional travel based on team and cross-functional needs. TRM coordinates and covers approved travel, lodging, and workspace. Accommodations are available for legitimate caregiving, health, immigration, and similar constraints.

Application Instructions

If you’re interested in joining TRM, we encourage you to apply directly. Every application is reviewed by our Talent team.

Before applying, review the job description carefully and highlight the experience and impact that best demonstrate the required qualifications. Please also provide thoughtful and accurate answers to the application questions, as these will be used to evaluate your skills and qualifications for the role.

If you send your resume directly to someone at TRM, we can’t guarantee it will reach the appropriate hiring team. Applying directly is the best way to ensure your application will be considered.

Interviewing with TRM

Our process is designed to understand how you think, solve problems, and deliver impact, while allowing you to evaluate TRM. Most interview processes include a case study, an AI skills assessment, and a Leadership Principles interview.

• Recruiter Intro: Qualifications, motivations, and alignment with the role.

• Hiring Manager: Deep dive into your relevant experience, skills, and impact.

• First Round: 1–2 interviews focused on the skills most critical to the role.

• Final Round: Hands-on case study. This is usually a panel-style session where we go deeper into your craft, problem-solving, and alignment with TRM.

• References: Former colleagues who can provide insight into your work and impact.

• Offer: Congrats! Your recruiter will present the offer and compensation details.

• Welcome to TRM: We're excited to build a safer world with you!

Your recruiter will share your specific interview plan and preparation guidance along the way.

AI Fluency at TRM

AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM.

We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks.

At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to:

• Accelerate repeatable workflows

• Structure and solve problems

• Improve output quality

• Increase speed and leverage

You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process.

Life at TRM

We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.

TRM moves FAST. We are a high-velocity, high-ownership team that expects clarity, follow-through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and continuous feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it will ship here in days.

Our work sits at the intersection of AI, national security, and fighting crime. The problems are complex, the stakes are real, and the environment evolves quickly. The pace and intensity of the work reflect the importance of the mission. As a result, the way we operate requires a high level of ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.

At TRM, you should expect:

• Priorities and targets to change quickly

• Operating with a high degree of ambiguity

• A high level of personal ownership and accountability

• Close collaboration across teams and functions

• Frequent, high-touch communication

• Creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking

• A pace that rewards urgency, adaptability, and outcomes

This environment is energizing for people who enjoy building, solving hard problems, and making progress in situations that are not always fully defined. It also requires thriving in ambiguity, adjusting course as new information emerges, and maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-moving and intense environment.

We also recognize that this style of operating is not for everyone. If you are primarily optimizing for predictability or a consistently balanced workload, we encourage you to use the interview process to pressure-test whether this environment is truly the right fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.

If you are excited by meaningful problems, motivated by ambitious goals, and energized by working alongside mission-driven colleagues, there is a good chance you will find TRM to be an exceptional place to grow and contribute.

Leadership Principles

We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions.

• Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly.

• Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday.

• Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger.

Join our Mission

At TRM, we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.

TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore.

Privacy Policy and Additional Information

By submitting your application, you agree to allow TRM Labs to process your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

We collect the information you provide (such as your resume, work history, and contact details) solely for the purpose of evaluating your candidacy for current and future roles at TRM.

Because our hiring cycles for certain positions may span 24 to 36 months, we retain your personal information for up to 36 months from the date of your application. After that period, your data is deleted unless a different retention period is required or permitted by law.

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with applicable data protection laws, you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data at any time before that period ends. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

To notify TRM Labs that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form (opens in a new tab). No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.

The use of AI tools of any kind (including but not limited to notetakers, interview assistants, and real-time coaching tools such as Otter.ai, Fireflies, Fathom, Cluey, or similar) during TRM interviews is not permitted without prior approval from TRM. TRM uses its own internal tools for note-taking to ensure a consistent and confidential experience for all candidates.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this form (opens in a new tab).

Recruitment agencies

TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company without a signed agreement.