Automotive Product Research VA (Google Sheets, Vehicle Data)

Virtual Assistant: Automotive Product Research and Data Verification (Vehicle Fitment Data, Google Sheets)

TYPE OF WORK: Full Time
WAGE / SALARY: Research VA $4.50 to $5.50/hr. Cross-Check VA $5.50 to $6.50/hr. Your role and your rate are confirmed during a paid trial period.
HOURS PER WEEK: 40
NUMBER OF HIRES: 3 (two Research VAs, one Cross-Check VA)

READ THIS FIRST
This is a research role, not a data entry role.
If your experience is typing jobs, lead generation list building, or copy and paste work only, please do not apply. Speed is not what we are paying for here.
If you are the kind of person who notices that two websites list the same car with different dimensions, and you want to know which one is right before you write anything down, please keep reading.

JOB OVERVIEW
We are looking for detail oriented Virtual Assistants to support research and data collection for automotive accessory product development.
The primary responsibility of this position is to research vehicle specific and marketplace information required for new product development and accurately organize the findings in our Master Google Sheets.
Research may include vehicle specifications, dimensions, compatibility and fitment information, existing product specifications, marketplace information, and customer feedback.
The team will consist of two Research VAs and one Cross-Check VA. Research VAs collect and organize data, while the Cross-Check VA independently verifies the collected information before it is finalized.
You do not apply for a specific role. Both roles start from the same application, and we assign them during the paid trial period based on the work you actually produce.
This position requires more than simple data entry. Research accuracy, source verification, and consistency are extremely important. A wrong dimension in our sheet becomes a product that does not fit a customer's car, so the cost of a careless entry is real.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: RESEARCH VA

• Conduct online research for automotive accessory product development
• Research required information by vehicle Make / Model / Year
• Collect vehicle specifications, dimensions, fitment and compatibility information, and other requested data
• Research existing products and specifications across online marketplaces
• Review relevant customer reviews and feedback when needed
• Enter findings accurately into the provided Master Google Sheets
• Record supporting sources and links for every entry
• Compare information from multiple sources whenever possible. Manufacturer specifications outrank marketplace listings, and marketplace listings outrank forum posts
• Clearly flag unavailable, uncertain, or conflicting information instead of guessing
• Follow provided research guidelines and formatting consistently

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: CROSS-CHECK VA
Everything above, plus the verification layer:

• Independently verify data collected by the Research VAs using sources they did not use
• Confirm that vehicle Make / Model / Year is correctly matched, including trim and generation changes within the same model year
• Identify inaccurate, inconsistent, incomplete, or questionable entries and send them back with a reason
• Flag discrepancies that cannot be confidently resolved rather than picking the more convenient answer
• Keep verification standards identical across all rows and both researchers
• Complete final verification before data is marked as approved

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• You can find the same fact in two independent sources and tell us which one you trust more, and why
• Google Sheets: you have used filters, sorting, and VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP
• You can read an English product specification page and pull exact numbers out of it without asking for clarification
• Written English good enough to explain, in two or three sentences, why two sources disagree
• Comfortable working in a sheet with thousands of rows without losing your place
• You can follow a formatting rule the same way on row 40 as you did on row 4
• Self directed. You will work with written guidelines and asynchronous feedback, not constant supervision
• You say "I could not verify this" instead of filling in a plausible number
• Reliable internet, backup power, and consistent attendance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Genuine interest in cars. You will look at vehicle dimensions and body styles every working day, and people who find that interesting are measurably more accurate than people who do not
• Previous experience in online research, product research, or e-commerce
• Experience researching Amazon, eBay, or other online marketplaces
• Automotive industry or automotive accessory research experience
• Experience with vehicle fitment or compatibility data
• Experience managing large spreadsheets or product databases

WORK SCHEDULE
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM US Pacific Time, including a 30 minute break. 40 hours per week.

PAY, AND HOW WE SET IT

• Research VA $4.50 to $5.50/hr. Cross-Check VA $5.50 to $6.50/hr
• The Cross-Check role pays more because it is the last check before data is approved. It is not a supervisor role, it is a harder accuracy role
• Both your role and your rate are confirmed during a paid trial period of 3 to 5 days, based on the work you actually produce
• Paid on time, every time, through Wise. We have a documented payroll process
• Long term position. This is an ongoing product development program, not a one off project
• Raises are tied to written performance criteria and reviewed at 3 months. No vague promises

HOW TO APPLY
Apply through OnlineJobs.ph messaging, or email your application to ---------- are the only two channels we review. Do not send your application to ---------- sent to that address will not be reviewed.
On the first line of your message, write RESEARCH followed by the number of people we are hiring for this role.
Then answer the five questions below. Keep every answer to three sentences or fewer. We read short answers first.

1. Find the overall length of a 2022 Ford F-150. Give the number, your source link, and anything else you think we should know about your answer.
2. Open this sheet: ----------
Column A and column B should hold the same vehicle, but a few rows do not match. List the row numbers that do not match.
3. Describe one time you researched something online and the sources disagreed. What did you do?
4. How do you d ---------- whether an online source is reliable? Name one type of source you would not trust for technical specifications, and why.
5. Name one car you know well, and one thing about it that most people do not know.

Please attach your resume. Strong candidates often get held up simply because we cannot verify anything without one.

Three things worth knowing before you write:

• If you could not confirm something, say so. "I could not verify this" is a good answer here and costs you nothing. A confident wrong number costs you the application.
• Answers that read as AI written are not considered. We are not looking for polish. Four honest sentences beat a page of clean text.
• We contact shortlisted applicants within 48 hours with one follow up question. If we do not hear back from you within two days, we move on.