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Lead UX Researcher

Lead UX Researcher

San Francisco, CA (SOMA District)

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join the PlayStation UX Research Team and become a key player in defining the product and design strategy of PlayStation’s products and services, and the future of interactive entertainment. In this role, you will be leading a broad range of research projects in collaboration with UX Design, Product Management, Engineering, and other partners. You are an upbeat advocate of a user-centered and insights-based approach to product design and development, a strong performer in Strategic Research (qualitative and quantitative), Design Research, and Evaluative Research. Your role is to complement business strategy, advise direction, and help deliver outstanding creative user experiences. You let your passion shine by consistently advocating for users' needs and collaborate with cross-functional partners to implement the best solutions to user problems. You provide valuable feedback to both peers, and managers and are a model to junior researchers. You have an excellent understanding of the UX Design process and principles, and technological capabilities/limitations.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Own and conduct end-to-end UX Research - from foundational research to advise product direction, all the way to the concept and usability testing.
• Conduct Design Research and format findings in impactful UX Deliverables including User Personas, Mental Model Maps, Journey Maps, User-flows, etc.
• Translate development goals and strategies into research opportunities.
• Be accountable for ensuring that research deliverables are high quality and meet the established standards and guidelines and go beyond “bullet points”.
• Be responsible for the work of researchers and vendors, assigning and reviewing tasks across specific domain areas and programs.
• Coach and mentor researchers toward innovative and creative thinking when approaching research challenges.
• Orchestrate initiatives to craft new and evolve existing research methods and processes by staying up-to-date with innovations in the industry.
• Lead communication with partners, including designers, product managers, project managers, and engineers inside various divisions.
• Handle partner agencies and consultants, advising their efforts through clear input and feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables that suit the needs of the internal partners.
  

Requirements:

• Minimum BA/BS degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human Factors, Psychology, UX Design, related field, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of industry UX Research experience proven in a portfolio of projects.
• Proven track record of conducting Strategic and Design Research projects.
• A robust understanding of industry-standard UX research methods including ethnographic methods (e.g., in-depth interview, group interviews), evaluative methods (e.g., concept testing, in-lab/remote usability testing, tree testing, etc.), and quantitative methods (surveys, behavioral analytics, etc.).
• Thought leadership in UX research – has given talks, published papers that influenced and promoted the field of UX.
• Extensive experience providing research and deep insights leading to compelling and quality interfaces.
• Experience mentoring or leading UX researchers and/or designers on high-profile programs and projects.
• Strong capacity to build and sustain internal and external partnerships.
• Knowledge of, and passion for the gaming, media, and software industries is a big plus.

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