Research Manager (Mid-South)

About Ancestry:

When you join Ancestry, you join a human-centered company where every person’s story is important. Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, connects everyone with their past so they can discover, preserve, and share their unique family stories. With our unparalleled collection of more than 65 billion records, over 3.5 million subscribers, and over 27 million people in our growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Over the past 40 years, we’ve built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving, and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.
We are committed to our location flexible work approach, allowing you to choose to work in the nearest office, from your home, or a hybrid of both (subject to location restrictions and roles that are required to be in the office- see the full list of eligible US locations HERE). We will continue to hire and promote beyond the boundaries of our office locations, to enable broadened possibilities for employee diversity.
Together, we work every day to foster a work environment that's inclusive as well as diverse, and where our people can be themselves. Every idea and perspective is valued so that our products and services reflect the global and diverse clients we serve. 
Ancestry encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants. Passionate about dedicating your work to enriching people’s lives? Join the curious.

Ancestry is seeking an experienced genealogist specializing in the United States Mid-South and South, who is eager to contribute to the organization’s long-term success. The candidate will lead research projects, produce exemplary research, and must be proficient in project and client management. Successful research managers are flexible, detail-oriented, strong in technology, and meet industry standards for genealogical research. They assist team members in developing their skills and consistently meet performance metrics.

What you'll do...

• Research & Writing Expertise: Conduct specialized research in the U.S. Mid-South and South, particularly the Colonial South. Quickly determine research feasibility, locate necessary resources, and produce clear research logs, academic narrative reports, and client updates according to company standards.

• Project & Time Management: Manage 30 to 70 active client projects post-onboarding, including defining scope, budget, and resource allocation. Ensure project deliverables meet company and industry standards while maintaining an average of 5.5 billable hours per day to fulfill annual targets.

• Client & Team Communication: Set clear expectations, update clients every 4 to 6 weeks, and address questions or concerns promptly. Partner closely with Client Relationship Managers (CRMs) and research staff to ensure session objectives are met.

• Pod Leadership & Supervision: Oversee research accuracy and efficiency within your assigned pod or contractor network. Conduct regular pod meetings, delegate work strategically, and coach research staff on genealogical methodologies, escalating non-genealogical or persistent performance issues appropriately.

Who you are...

• Professional Background: Minimum 5 years of professional genealogical research experience, backed by a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in History, English, or comparable practical experience.

• Subject Matter Specialty: Advanced expertise in general U.S. research with a focus on Southern and Mid-South regions, advanced brick-wall research methodologies, and evidence analysis.

• DNA & Technical Proficiency: Proficient in applying DNA test results to resolve complex genealogical problems and managing the full research lifecycle within budget—including citations, record abstracts, and research journals.

• Multi-Project & Time Discipline: Proven ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple concurrent projects effectively in a high-volume, billable environment.

• Collaborative Leadership & Client Management: Skilled in setting client expectations, resolving conflicts, working within collaborative team environments, and providing constructive feedback and coaching.

Helping people discover their story is at the heart of ours. Ancestry is the largest provider of family history and personal DNA testing, harnessing a powerful combination of information, science and technology to help people discover their family history and stories that were never possible before. Ancestry’s suite of products includes: AncestryDNA, AncestryProGenealogists, Fold3, Newspapers.com, Find a Grave, Archives.com, and Rootsweb. We offer excellent benefits and a competitive compensation package. For additional information, regarding our benefits and career information, please visit our website at http://ancestry.com/careers

As a signatory of the ParityPledge in Support of Women and the ParityPledge in Support of People of Color, Ancestry values pay transparency and pay equity. We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position: $64,300.00 - $68,510.80 with eligibility for bonus, equity and comprehensive benefits including health, dental and vision. The actual salary will vary by geographic region and job experience. We will share detailed compensation data for a specific location during the recruiting process. Read more about our benefits HERE.

*Note: Disclosure as required by sb19-085(8-5-20) and sb1162(1-1-23).

Additional Information:

Ancestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer that makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizenship, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. In addition, Ancestry will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

All job offers are contingent on a background check screen that complies with applicable law. For candidates who live in San Francisco, CA, pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Ancestry will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Ancestry is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Ancestry via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Ancestry. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Ancestry as a result of the referral or through other means.