Senior User Researcher

Job Description

Your Platform

Your Mission

As an embedded senior user researcher, you will join a dedicated, and diverse team of user research, design, and development professionals to lead and complete research and evaluation efforts on the largest gaming franchises in the world. This role could be temporarily remote but will eventually be expected to work onsite at [the Toronto Site]. In this role, you'll embed with a mixed team of development and design professionals to be responsible for and coordinate research efforts with Activision's central User Research team in California. You'll sit in on meetings and design discussions, provide feedback and insight to other teammates, and design and oversee programmatic user research efforts in person and remotely. In addition, you'll have unlimited access to Activision's full UR organization to draw on for advice, lab support, and empirical data collection.

By the end of your first year, you'll have become a trusted resource within your team for advice and support on all things user research. You'll be ready to provide feedback to your colleagues on call, or design, plan, and implement appropriately chosen user research studies for more complex needs. Either way, you'll be your team's go-to onsite user research expert and bridge to the resources and knowledge of Activision's full central User Research team.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:
• Conducts and oversees user research for at least one game title under the direction of the manager or director, including all stages from planning to execution.
• Carries out research using a variety of methods, including, but not limited to: usability testing, balance testing, focus groups, interviews, surveys, heuristic evaluations, card sorts, exploratory research, and field studies.
• Crafts and edits reports and surveys.
• Communicates summarized research results directly to development teams for discussion and future implementation.
• Produces design suggestions based on observation, research, and expertise.
• Occasionally travels to run on-site tests or to act as research expert

Player Profile

Experience
• Deep knowledge and experience designing and performing user research studies
• At least six years of experience conducting or overseeing user experience research. Experience testing live ops games is a plus.
• Experience with playing or researching video games is a must, and an ideal candidate will be well versed in at least one of Activision's titles.

Knowledge & Skills
• Bachelor's degree required (branches of psychology, human computer interaction, human factors, communications, anthropology, or related field). Advanced degree is preferred.
• Deep understanding and experience with the process of conducting scientific studies with participants in the laboratory.

Key Attributes
• Must have a passion for video games, especially FPS or PvP multiplayer games.
• Strong collaborator and good communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication (both written and verbal).

Extra Points:

Experience
• Talent comes from many diverse backgrounds, so experience with user research, UX, or game testing is a strong plus, but not a requirement.
• Experience with first person shooters on console or PC is a plus.

Knowledge & Skills
• Experience with remote user research testing is a plus.
• Familiarity with quantitative research methods is a plus.

Key Attributes
• Interest in educating, training, and mentoring junior researchers

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rev028-18-117-165-66-42 in your application.